


NEXT Generation

by WhiteCabaret



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: First Kiss, First Time, Love Confessions, M/M, Mpreg, Nosebleed, Weight Gain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-01-23 11:41:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 59,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21319603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteCabaret/pseuds/WhiteCabaret
Summary: Kotetsu never thought he'd be able to find love again, not after losing the love of his life. As it turns out, though, he still has plenty of room in his heart-- for a NEXT partner, with an unexpected secondary power that could allow him to experience something else he thought he'd only get once: Fatherhood.
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu
Comments: 15
Kudos: 101





	1. The Perfect Fried Rice

Barnaby stared with enough unspoken criticism at the bottle of soy sauce in his hand that someone might think he was angry at it. He couldn't decide if the rice needed more of it or not. He made it with three-parts brown rice and one-part white rice. He remembered the onions, scallions, carrots, garlic, eggs, ginger, peas, and bell peppers. Last time he forgot the eggs and bell peppers. Ever since Kotetsu nearly died two years ago, Barnaby Brooks Jr. had the oddest conviction to make fried rice perfectly. Once a month, he invited his NEXT partner over to the apartment to do another taste testing. He finally decided on two more teaspoons of soy sauce. Kotetsu would come knocking in less than five minutes, so he had to get this on a plate.

Kotetsu always found this ritual a little odd. He figured the mention of perfect fried rice was just one of those things you say during a dramatic situation to ease the tension. Like how his attention had (confusingly enough) fallen on Barnaby's eyelashes. Eyelashes, seriously? It didn't make a lot a sense, but neither had Barnaby's “last” words to him. But that wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy these monthly visits. After all, a full year passed where they'd both been technically retired, and he was living all the way out in the country with his mother and daughter while he healed. He hadn't seen Barnaby for so long, and now he saw him all the time. But, their usual activities—those being drinking and relaxing when they were off-duty—usually transpired at his place. It wasn't often he got to step foot in Barnaby's luxurious high-rise apartment and gawk at the view or the fancy kitchen or make fun of his partner for never ever buying any furniture for the place. And Barnaby would admonish him for his condo being so messy, but whatever, he was a fully grown forty-one-year-old man. He could live in a messy condo if he wanted to. All these thoughts transpired on the seemingly endless elevator ride up to Barnaby's floor, and then he was finally rapping his knuckles on the door to his place.

Barnaby nearly dropped the plate when he heard the rigorous knocking on his door. Kotetsu used to just come barging in since Barnaby gave him a key in case of an emergency, but the blond bunny conditioned his companion to always knock. Always. "One minute," he called. Barnaby set the plate perfectly on the mat and made sure to set out chopsticks instead of the usual fork and spoon. He toyed nervously with one of his curls before forcing his hand back down. "Coming." He gripped the door handle and opened it in a rather swift swing. Barnaby looked fashionable as always with his black jeans, studded white belt, and short-sleeved purple turtleneck. "Good to see you," he said, not managing to offer a smile of any sort despite his words.

"Bunny!" Kotetsu exclaimed, throwing is arms out jovially and sounding for all the world like he hadn't seen the younger man in ages, even though they just worked together on a robbery a couple days prior. He'd been polite and knocked, but that didn't stop him from crossing the threshold as soon as the door was open without waiting for an invite inside, and slapping Barnaby across the shoulder in greeting. "Nice to see ya, too." Kotetsu's outfit was his usual fare, but since it was a warm night, he'd left off his hat, tie, and vest, leaving his outfit as the much simpler combination of shirt, slacks, suspenders, and spats. "How're you doing?" he then asked, despite the fact that he was the one who took much more of a beating during the whole robbery situation.

In the old days, Barnaby would boldly and sternly reprimand Kotetsu for just inviting himself inside, but these days, he merely pouted his lips and glared daggers at the older man for his abrasive manners. Perhaps age was the very reason Kotetsu felt he was exempt from rituals of politeness. Being old meant you had a free pass for a lot of things. It would appear being old also excused you from not buying new clothes when the new fashion season presented itself. Barnaby coughed at the slap and closed the door. "I'm fine, thank you." He walked directly over to the table and pulled out the chair for his guest. Even though fried rice was a peasant Japanese dish—at least as far as Barnaby was concerned—he took the time to cover it with a polished silver cloche. "If you don't mind. It will get cold."

"Straight to business," Kotetsu whistled, taking his time to look across the living room before he sidestepped into the kitchen. "Decor's as neat as ever," he teased, even as he was practically ushered into one of the seats at the table in the equally sparse kitchen. Barnaby even pushed his seat in for him, which was Kotetsu's first clue that something was... off. "You sure you're feeling okay?" he asked, scratching under his chin. "You seem... stiff. Is that just me?"

"It's always just you," Barnaby retorted. "But if you really want to know, the fact it's taken me nearly a year to make the perfect fried rice is entirely frustrating. You always find something wrong with it, and I'm starting to get the idea you're doing it on purpose just to get a rise out of me. Because you know I won't stop until you say it's perfect. So now you're treating it like some kind of stupid game." He gripped the little knobbed top of the cloche and lifted it away, letting the steam and aroma of the rice escape right into Kotetsu's face.

"I can't help it if I have high standards for my favorite food," Kotetsu argued, trying to hide the bit of amusement stashed in his tone. Okay, it was kind of true that he was overly critical sometimes, just to see Barnaby get upset about it. Partially. Okay, it was really true. But he'd stick to his guns, saying, "Japanese cooking is very intricate, y'know," picking up the chopsticks. He eyed the rice hungrily, and then grin one of his signature toothy grins. "Thanks for the food!" he said, clapping his hands and then digging in.

Barnaby just hummed. He believed that in the beginning, but now he thought it was just a clever lie Kotetsu came up with. Brewing the perfect Jasmine tea was very intricate. Rice was not. He remained standing there by the man's side, bent over and watching critically as Kotetsu ate. All his frustrations aside, he did make a dying promise to Tiger that he'd make him the perfect fried rice. Something compelled Barnaby to keep trying over and over to achieve this great milestone and put a smile on Kotetsu's face.

Kotetsu noted Barnaby hovering over his shoulder, but chose not to say anything about it for now. There was rice demanding to be eaten. He got a couple of bites in before he felt comfortable judging, and that was when his face lit up. "Wow. Now that's a perfect plate of rice," he said, using his chopsticks to turn over a portion of the rice, like he was expecting to find something hidden inside that was making it taste so good. It was especially impressive considering how abysmal Barnaby's attempts at the dish had been just scarcely a year ago. He laughed then, looking up over his shoulder at the younger man. "Gotta say, you've really outdone yourself! Though..." He laughed again, amused with his next sentence before he even spoke it. "Having someone put so much time and effort into making a meal for me like this... kinda makes me feel like I'm married again!"

Barnaby actually started smiling when Kotetsu admitted the rice was perfect. Finally! After so many miserably failed attempts, he made the perfect plate of fried rice! He was desperately going through his head how he'd made it when Kotetsu made his next comment. That very comment made Barnaby blush from cheek to cheek. In fact, even his glasses fogged up a little. His only reaction was to reach out and snap one of the suspender straps against the man's chest. "There you go saying stupid things again," Barnaby scolded and hurried to the sink where he started washing the pan and cutting board.

"Ow," Kotetsu whined, more for show than anything else. "Oh c'mon, I mean that in a good way," he insisted, already halfway to putting another mouthful of rice into his face. After all, this was his dinner. The taste test didn't end until he actually sat down and ate his free food. Barnaby didn't look up from his washing, though, so Kotetsu mulled over what he'd say next when he swallowed. And then, "So now that you've perfected the recipe, does that mean you're not gonna make me dinner anymore?"

"I might as well keep doing it," Barnaby replied. "It's part of my routine now and trying to break it would be too much of a headache." He could still feel the heat in his cheeks and scrubbed harder at the pan. "Besides, an experiment is only truly successful when you can repeat the desired results more than once. If I don't make it perfect again next time, then I'll still be a failure at it and I refuse to let rice—of all things—get the better of me." He dropped everything in the soapy water, marched over to the fridge, and poured himself a glass of rose wine. Dear lord his nerves were shot. Why did Kotetsu have to go and say something dumb like that?

"Well, can't say I mind the idea," Kotetsu responded. He let himself nurse the rice for a longer silence this time, watching Barnaby kick back wine, still stiff and red in the face. "Are you sure you're okay, Bunny?" he finally asked, halfway through his dinner and Barnaby halfway through a second glass. "Seems like something's on your mind. You know you can talk to me about it, whatever it is, right?"

"I told you I'm fine," the blond insisted again. Barnaby couldn't just out and say that rice wasn't really about rice. Rice wasn't just about being perfect and anal and the victor over something that got puffy in boiling water yet still proved difficult to master. It was about a promise to a dying man who pulled Barnaby out of a very dark place, not unlike how one pulled teeth: awkwardly and painfully. It was about that dying man who inspired Barnaby to smile again and feel happy and seek out friendship... and then that friendship turned into something more even though it was one-sided, because it was on Barnaby's side of things and that meant he couldn't escape the feeling. A feeling he was pretty sure was love. Love for a man nearly twice his age and only half his maturity level. And it was about how Barnaby worried every time they faced off against the bad guys because Kotetsu only had one minute of Hundred Power left and that meant he could get hurt or worse... and Barnaby couldn't go through that again because... because... "You stupid old man..." he murmured.

"Hey, c'mon now," Kotetsu said, eyebrows falling into a hard line when he heard the blond's words. He stood up from his chair, approaching where Barnaby stood in the kitchen and leaning on the island counter-top. "There's no need to get upset. But weren't you the one who said we shouldn't keep secrets and tell each other everything?"

Barnaby shook his head. "Not when it's only going to embarrass me and put you in an awkward position," he countered. After all, Kotetsu was married once, to a woman, and had a child. This would never work. "I just... When you make jokes about us being married... You don't know what you're saying. You don't know what you're doing to me, Kotetsu."

"Don't know what I'm saying?" Kotetsu repeated, the hard line of his brows immediately vanishing as he quirked one in confusion, forehead wrinkling. "I'm... not sure I'm picking up what you're putting down," he said, after a quiet moment of trying to puzzle out what Barnaby meant by that. Man, it was always so difficult to discern what was going on with his partner. Barnaby treated every minor issue like the world was ending. Even now, he looked like he wanted to curl in on himself and die just because something apparently awkward was going on that Kotetsu wasn't privy to. In Kotetsu's opinion, it seemed a little over-dramatic. Because really, after knowing each other for so long, what could Barnaby possibly be alluding to that was so embarrassing for him? That was related to being married? Suddenly, Kotetsu's face seemed to light up with realization. "Oh!" he gasped, snapping his fingers and pointing. "Did you finally get yourself a girlfriend?!"

"No!" Barnaby snapped and spun around so he faced Kotetsu. "I didn't get a girlfriend! I don't like girls! I don't like women. And before you ask, I didn't get a boyfriend either. My god, why are you so dense?! You making jokes about us being married embarrasses me because I like you, Kotetsu! I might even love you! You nearly died in my arms and my heart hurt so much that part of me wanted to die with you!" Barnaby snapped his mouth shut and his face burned red all over again. Welp, now it was out there. He'd never be able to take any of it back. All he did was turn his head away with a frown. "...But there's no point in telling you something like that because you used to have a wife."

"Oh," was Kotetsu's only answer, his pointing finger dropping immediately to his side and dark eyes going wide. "Ohhh..." He had to take a second to process all of that. Barnaby was gay? Actually, he guessed that wasn't so surprising or strange. Barnaby had never showed interest in anyone on the outside, so what he felt on the inside could've very well been anything. Next thing. Barnaby liked him? But why? When Barnaby was born, Kotetsu was already a teenager. Didn't that seem a little strange? Then he remembered that near-death moment Barnaby mentioned, and he flushed a little bit. It was a pretty intimate moment, huh. He remembered thinking he was at the end of the line, and studying every little detail of Barnaby's face to keep his mind off the pain. And then he made that stupid comment about his partner's eyelashes, or something. "Well," he finally said, chewing on the knuckle on his now retracted hand as he tried to come up with what he wanted to say to that. "That's, um. I... Huh. Well."

Barnaby groaned. "This is why I didn't want to tell you." Kotetsu couldn't think of one thing to say. It made sense. What was a straight man supposed to say to a gay man's love confession? "Look, if you don't want to be NEXT partners now, I'll understand. If you think it will be too awkward." The blond suddenly felt very hot and sort of lightheaded. "I'll uh... I'll set up a meeting with the... the a-agent. Get things sorted out."

"What? No! Don't be ridiculous," Kotetsu answered, looking alarmed that Barnaby would even suggest that. "There's just a lot of stuff to consider here, but nothing to break up the team over!"

Barnaby might have felt relieved if he still wasn't so anxious. He knew it was his own fault. He got himself all worked up on the inside and now he felt sick. The room spun around the blond and he momentarily lost his balance. "I get it. You need time to think. I dropped a lot on you. Honestly, I'm surprised you want to give it any thought at all. I get it, Kotetsu. You're straight. You had a wife and a daughter with her. Kaede is an amazing kid and I'm sure your wife was a wonderful woman. I was dumb bringing this up." The room spun again and he grabbed the edge of the island with one hand. "We should probably forget I ever said any of this."

"Are you okay?" Kotetsu asked, his own confusion and apprehension over the situation completely lost when he noticed Barnaby almost stumble into the counter. "You should sit down for a second, you'll hit your head on the marble that way," he warned, approaching the blond with arms outstretched to set his hands on the younger man's shoulders to try and guide him to sit down on the tile floor.

If he wasn't so out of sorts, Barnaby probably would have fussed and insisted they sit in one of the nearby chairs instead of the on the floor, but Kotetsu's hands landed on their mark and soon he slid down onto the cool tile. Barnaby sat there, looking embarrassed and like he was going to pass out, all with a pout on his lips. "I feel like such an ass..."

"Hey, c'mon," Kotetsu said, standing himself up and quickly grabbing a glass and filling it with water before crouching down in front of Barnaby, offering the cold drink to him. "Nothing wrong with getting it off your chest. Could've turned out a lot worse if you never told me," he pointed out.

Barnaby quirked a brow as he took the glass and sipped from it slowly. "How could it be any worse than this right now?" he asked in a dry, skeptical tone of voice. Because really, how did it get worse than your straight superhero partner and friend fumbling dumbly in response to your big gay 20-years-his-junior love confession after feeding him fried freaking rice of all things?

"Um..." Kotetsu started, scratching at his beard as he tried to come up with a suitable answer. "Well, what if like, I found out about this while we were facing off against some super villain NEXT with emotion reading powers who somehow turned it against us? And then, like, we wouldn't know how to work together or one of us would be unable to fight and like... People's lives would be at risk, right?!" Kotetsu proposed, slapping his hands on his knees. "But, right now? The world isn't ending, y'know?" he then added, voice dropping to a softer register. "You're okay."

Barnaby didn't know whether to laugh or slap the older man across the face. Where did he come up with these ridiculous scenarios? It did sound worse, but also completely outlandish. After facing off against someone who could manipulate and totally obliterate the memories of every person in an entire city, no other super villain NEXT powers seemed like as much of a threat. Still, he knew Kotetsu was just trying to cheer him up, and that made Barnaby smile. "Thanks."

Kotetsu smiled when Barnaby did, and fell from his feet onto his ass and crossed his legs, sitting down in front of Barnaby on the floor. "I will say that I'm a little surprised," he said, still talking in that soft and comforting tone of voice. "I mean, we went through a lot just to get to friendship after our, uh. Rocky start?"

That tone of voice really did the trick. Barnaby supposed it was something Kotetsu learned while being a dad. "Rocky start is the nice way of putting it. I was surprised too, though," he admitted. "I never thought I would like you this way. Not because there's anything wrong with you. Only that... you're so much older than me and we're so different." Barnaby rubbed his finger around the rim of the glass. "I thought, in the beginning, that I was getting friendship and love confused. Later, I realized that the way I felt about you was different than the way I felt about the other heroes. What I felt for you ran a little bit deeper and pulled at my heart a little bit stronger. I think about you and your smile, and my cheeks turn warm. Whenever you call me Bunny, my heart flutters a little."

Kotetsu felt the tip of his ears go pink as Barnaby described his secret infatuation in detail. It was kind of like the feeling you got when you found out people were saying nice things about you behind your back. Almost like a panic, but a heartwarming kind of panic. Hard to explain. "I am older than you," he conceded, nodding his head sagely. "That's one of the things to consider I mentioned. I mean, we're far enough apart that my twelve-year-old has a boy band-style crush on you. Does that not weird you out at all?"

"Maybe a little. My head knows this might not be the best idea, but my heart wants nothing more than to share affection with you. It's a constant battle I struggled with for a few months. But you know..." Barnaby looked over at Kotetsu. "If I learned anything from you the past few years, it's that a person should follow their heart instead of their head. You follow your heart all the time. It's one of the things that drove me crazy about you when we first met, but now... I'm starting to understand why you do it, because if I listen to my head, I'll just be lonely and miserable. If I listen to my heart... I might finally have a chance at being happy and... having sort of this... family again. A you-and-me family."

Kotetsu scooted over to sit next to Barnaby now instead of in front of him, closing the gap so they could just talk. Talking through this seemed like the best option for both of them, anyway. "That all makes sense to me," Kotetsu said. "But what about the possible publicity angle? How does that part make you feel? Same answer?"

"Kotetsu, look..." Barnaby set the glass on the floor and then crossed his arms over the tops of his knees. "The fame and publicity aren't why I became a hero. Fame and publicity don't make me happy. I got into the hero business so that I could catch my parents' killer. I did that, and while I have closure now, it also made new wounds. I put a lot of faith and trust in Maverick. As far as I knew, he took me in after my parents died and raised me. I always thought of him as a grandfather. Then I found out that everything was a lie. I didn't even get justice for my parents because Maverick turned his powers on himself. Every concept of family I ever had... I lost. That's something I want. NEXTs, Hero TV, publicity, and everything else aside... I'm ready to have someone in my life who is real and who loves me. I want that person to be you, but only if you feel the same way."

Kotetsu was quieted by Barnaby's long explanation, nodding his head along with each point made. "I dunno," he finally said, letting out a breath. "I've thought about dating again. But Tomoe... leaving... feels so recent. And then there's Kaede to think about. But..." He frowned to himself, glancing over at Barnaby and then quickly back at the tile floor. "Could be nice, after all this time. But I sort of thought I was put out to pasture by this point," he admitted with a small chuckle.

"I would never, ever try replacing Tomoe, Kotetsu. I wouldn't try making you forget about her or become jealous of the love you have for her. I understand how precious she was—still is—to you, and I respect that. Believe me, I know how much it hurts to lose a loved one. I won't claim to know how Kaede will react. If she does react poorly and you decide we can't be together because of it, I'll respect your decision as a father." Barnaby hesitantly reached over and wrapped his fingers around Kotetsu's hand. "But you're not out to pasture." He smirked. "You might be an old man, but you hardly present like one."

Kotetsu couldn't help laughing, and though he wasn't really sure what to do with the hand now grasping his, he let his fingers close in loosely and didn't pull away. "Well gee wiz, thanks a bunch for that," he said, smirking right back. They sat there in comfortable silence for a few moments, Kotetsu leaning his head back against the kitchen cabinets as the wheels turned in his head. "Let me sleep on this tonight, okay?" he said, closing his eyes. "I promise I'll call you tomorrow with an answer."

"You don't have to make a decision so quickly," Barnaby insisted. "It'd be kind of a big step for you, since Tomoe... And I haven't dated since high school, so no rush. We're in the same boat." He rubbed his open palm against the curls at the back of his head and then glanced over at the older man with a small smile. "So, the perfect dish of fried rice, huh? Did you mean that, or are you just tired of trying to stomach all my failed attempts?"

Kotetsu snorted with unexpected laughter, opening his eyes again and rolling his head to the side so he could glance at the other man. "I mean, perfection's sort of hard to say for sure, but comparatively to all the other fried rice I've had? Yeah, I'd give it the perfect slot."

Barnaby leaned forward and rested his cheek on his crossed arms, still smiling. "You do realize now that the only dish I'll cook for you for the rest of your life is fried rice, then? Every day and night it will be nothing but rice for lunch and dinner."

"Please don't," Kotetsu answered, eyebrows raising. "Your fried rice may be awesome, but eating it all day every day is what I do for myself normally." He smirked then, shrugging his shoulders up as he added, "Besides, now I kinda want to taste what else you can cook."

One of Barnaby's own eyebrows arched upward with a smirk instead of the handsome smile from a second ago. "Oh, you're assuming I can cook?"

"I most certainly am," Kotetsu responded, without hesitation. "Or are you saying there's something Barnaby Brooks Jr. _can't_ do?"

"Well..." Barnaby glanced away and then back at Kotetsu. "If it's just between you and me, then no, I can't cook. Maverick had chefs. Once I became a celebrity hero, he made sure I had chefs, too. I've never actually made an egg. Toast once. Also waffles, but in a toaster oven."

"Awww," Kotetsu said, pouting in disappointment. "Seriously? I feel misled. If you got your fried rice so good, then surely there's some other stuff you can make." He thought about it for a second, then laughed and offered, "Hey, we should learn to cook together. Mom's on my back about being able to feed myself now that I'm back in the city."

Green eyes fell half-lidded and the softer smile returned to his lips. "Couples cooking classes could be fun," Barnaby hummed, mostly to himself, but out loud enough that Kotetsu heard him. Not that it was so bad. Plenty of people who weren't actually couples took those classes too. "Especially if it means learning how to cook something more sophisticated than macaroni and cheese."

"Well then," Kotetsu said, putting his hands behind his head. "Guess that's that then. For the sake of our ability to feed ourselves something other than delicious, delicious fried rice, we'll have to find a—What'd you say, couples cooking class? Are those a thing?" He pondered that for a second before murmuring, "I think Tomoe might have done something like that with a friend of hers. She never would have wanted me there—too much of a chance of combustion, I think."

That made Barnaby laugh. "Yes, those are a thing. There's a culinary school here in the city that hosts classes on weekends. Anyone can participate, so long as they sign up in pairs. You can choose between baking or cooking. Normally, they teach a full dinner course with appetizer, entree, and dessert." He wondered if teaching Kotetsu how to cook at his age would be like trying to teach an old dog new tricks. "Tell you what, I'll handle anything with a stove or oven, and you do the rest."

"So you're trusting me with knives? Aw, see Bunny, this is why we're great partners," Kotetsu teased, reaching over to lightly ruffle Barnaby's blond hair. Barnaby used to smack him for touching his hair and now just got huffy and pissed off about it, and Kotetsu saw this as a massive opportunity ripe for the taking advantage of.

Indeed, Barnaby huffed at this and puffed out his cheeks. Careless old man! Didn't Kotetsu have any idea how much work went into maintaining these curls? Even if they did start dating, it wouldn't be a free pass for Kotetsu to ruffle Barnaby's feathers whenever he felt like it. Even if the feeling of the older man's large, warm hand on his head made him blush. Barnaby reached and started twirling blond hairs around his fingers in an attempt to restore their shape. "Yeah, well, just remember your Hundred Power won't make you any better a chef, so don't go using it when you're around cutlery or open flames."

"C'mon, why would I do that? I only get a minute every few hours, and it's gotta be saved for emergencies!" Kotetsu said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And from there, the two of them ended up staying on the floor chatting, teasing each other and throwing ideas back and forth for stuff they should do together, only for Kotetsu to randomly snap out of the conversation and ask, "How long have we been sitting down here?"

"Longer than two grown men should ever be sitting on the floor and talking," answered Barnaby. He stood up, brushing off his jeans even though the kitchen floor was immaculate, and then offered his hand to Kotetsu. "I'm glad I finally got the rice right, and thanks for not... bolting the minute I started vomiting my feelings all over you."

Kotetsu took Barnaby's hand and pulled himself up. "You're welcome. I mean, that's nowhere near that time I vomited vomit all over your bathroom," he said, making a face as the memory resurfaced. Drinking with Barnaby was always a mixed bag, but one time, Kotetsu had way too much and had gotten drunk so badly that he ended up getting sick everywhere and then needing to sleep in Barnaby's bathtub for the night. It was disgusting, but Barnaby cleaned up and even put a blanket on him. Now that was friendship. But, now that he thought about it, maybe that was love? Huh. "Can I take that rice home as a souvenir?" Kotetsu asked, casting a forlorn glance at the now long-cold plate, still sitting prettily on the table.

"Of course. I don't like fried rice myself, so I would have just thrown it away." Barnaby fetched a Tupperware from the cabinet, spooned the rice from the plate and the remaining serving from the pot still on the stove, and then handed it over to Kotetsu. He knew this was most likely the man's dinner for the night. "If I don't hear from you tomorrow, then I'll see you for training on Monday?"

"Course you will," Kotetsu said, eagerly taking the container in his arms like it was made of glass. "And I promise I'll call. Even if it's to say I'm gonna take more time. Okay? I know how you get with uncertainty."

The blond chuckled weakly. "Not one of my strengths, no." He walked Kotetsu to the door and gave him a squeeze on the shoulder in lieu of a handshake, something the older man eventually got him to do after months of rigorous formality. After closing the door, Barnaby went back to his wine and poured another glass. Emotionally, he felt like he'd been hit by a truck. He still didn't know how he ever fell in love with older, immature, reckless, older, tomfool, older Kotetsu... but it happened, and now he had to deal with it.

As predicted, Kotetsu heated up the fried rice and thought about everything that happened that night while he ate it on his couch with the company of the television and a bottle of beer. He was hoping he'd have an answer by the time he went to bed so he could call Barnaby in the morning, but he went to sleep and woke up with nothing. He just wasn't sure. It was almost five in the afternoon by the time he finally called, staring at his phone's webcam screen with the receiver clutched in one hand and his hat held to his chest with the other.

Barnaby answered his phone not exactly looking the way he wanted to when Kotetsu called. Though he'd never admit it, he hung by his phone all day waiting for his friend to call. Normally, he had a schedule to keep, but he disregarded all of that in favor of waiting for this very call... only the day passed by with no word from Kotetsu, so Barnaby decided to workout. He figured it would remedy his anxiety. So now, he stared back into his phone's camera sans glasses, his hair back in a baby ponytail, flushed face, and a sweat-stained muscle shirt. "Oh... Oh hey," he panted slightly. "Um... Yeah, hi."

"Hi," Kotetsu answered, equally awkward. "Sorry I didn't call earlier. Had some stuff..." If by 'some stuff' he meant that he had to agonize for a few more hours, then he was technically telling the truth, right? He switched the phone receiver from his hand to his shoulder for lack of anything else to do with the camera pointed at him. "Anyway. I wanted to call to say, I thought about it, and... Yeah? Yeah. Let's, um... Try it?"

"Really?" Barnaby couldn't help the expression of disbelief as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Kotetsu didn't sound entirely confident in his decision, which of course was doing _wonders_ for Barnaby's uncertainty issues he so politely pointed out yesterday. "I mean, that's great. I'm glad to hear it." The blond smiled. "It means a lot that you're willing to try, Kotetsu." The screen jostled a bit as he walked through to the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. "Did you talk to Kaede at all about it first?"

"Uh, no, not quite," Kotetsu admitted. "I kinda wanted to do the whole dating thing first, and tell her about it later. Not, like, lie to her or anything. Just wait to tell her. Is that wrong?" he asked, scratching at his stubble, clearly not sure of himself. "I don't really know what you're _supposed_ to tell a kid when you start dating again. But she's twelve now, surely she'll understand if I wait to tell her about it. Besides, I'm sure she'll be stoked. She likes you so much!" Kotetsu was mostly rambling by this point, but he was smiling and in high spirits, even if he was stumbling through everything he said.

Barnaby flashed a more charming smile in response to Kotetsu's own positive, albeit fumbling, energy. "I don't know either. On the one hand, I guess it would be the courteous thing to do letting her know you're going to try dating again. On the other hand, if the relationship doesn't work, I guess there would be no point in telling her." Not that Barnaby wanted their relationship to fail. He much rather wanted it to succeed to its fullest potential, whatever that might mean. The blond laughed. "Well, as long as she's 'stoked' about it, I don't think you can go wrong."

Kotetsu laughed, scratching at the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess you're right." They sat on the line for a silent, awkward moment, before Kotetsu finally said, "Oh! So, uh, I guess we should plan... somewhere to go for a first date, right? Any... preference?"

Barnaby guzzled down half the water bottle and use the hem of his shirt to wipe the rest of the sweat from his face. Secretly, he gave a lot of thought to their first date. For a few months now, he plotted and daydreamed about where they would go and what they would do. He knew Kotetsu wasn't the best at modern dance, but old photo albums Kaede showed to him alluded to the man having a knack for ballroom and swing. The photos were all of Kotetsu with Tomoe, though, so... "Would it be too forward of me to ask if we can go dancing?"

"Dancing?" Kotetsu repeated. He wondered where that came from. Barnaby didn't seem like the type to enjoy dancing, but if that's what we wanted to do... "Yeah, sounds like fun!" The awkwardness finally seemed to break and he just grinned excitedly, leaning back on the couch. "How about this Saturday at six?"


	2. Use Your Hundred Power

Dancing proved to be something both men greatly enjoyed. Kotetsu had a much greater knack for that style than Barnaby ever expected, and that made him want to learn it and love it even more. They even made it to that cooking class, although Nathan somehow found out about it and dragged Antonio along, both of them wearing matching "Kiss the Cook" aprons—much to Antonio's chagrin, of course. Moving from best friend to boyfriend status went smoothly, and Barnaby supposed the former helped ease the transition into the latter. In fact, their relationship didn't change too much for the first few weeks until they chased after a repeat arsonist who was in fact quite dangerous. Bunny over estimated his ability to withstand the impact of an accelerated explosion, but then Wild Tiger was there using his single precious moment of Hundred Power to pull the blond out of the fray. Blue Rose ended up catching the villain, her ice powers best suited to combating fire, and that left Bunny the time to pull Tiger into a secluded side street, remove their helmets, and share one hell of a first kiss.

It was an amazing first kiss. They stayed in that alleyway making out like teenagers for so long that people started calling them on their com units to try and find them, if that was any indication of how easily they surpassed the awkwardness of the first kiss and went right into enjoying themselves. The only problem was that it was so amazing, that Kotetsu started getting antsy about not being able to do it more often. The honeymooning phase kicked off between them and suddenly it became extremely hard to pretend like they weren't dating when they went out on live television in their superhero suits. Barnaby often had to smack Kotetsu's hand off his waist or hips when they were standing around waiting for their cue from the television cameras, or wrestle him out of view of those same cameras before he pulled up his visor looking for a kiss when they made an arrest. They acted like they didn't get any private time together, which the other heroes teased them about, and which most certainly wasn't true, since they still went to the cooking class and out dancing whenever the city was quiet and let them go. Tonight was a lucky night where nothing interrupted their night out, and even when they got back to Kotetsu's condo for the night, they were still humming the music from the dance hall, and Kotetsu jokingly spun Barnaby inside the front door as he pulled it shut behind him. It had been almost half a year since they started dating, and it still amused Kotetsu how Barnaby couldn't help but smile when Kotetsu spun him around.

It was impossible not to smile since Kotetsu was his most romantic when they went dancing together. In the ballroom, Kotetsu's affinity for the old-fashioned style of things made sense. Beyond just his age. The man was in his element when he was allowed to embrace his classical values and charm. Barnaby was reaching a point of feeling ready to be with Kotetsu. He could easily say without any doubt that he was in love with this man and desired the next step. He'd done it a couple times with boyfriends in high school, but that was nearly a decade ago now. At least he knew Kotetsu hadn't been with anyone since Tomoe. It started with more playful dancing and kissing, which turned into touching, which resulted in a trail of clothing leading to the bedroom. Before long, in the dim, the tan body moved atop the pale body. They both sweat, sticking and sliding, groaning and panting each other's names. It was an amazing first time together. When Kotetsu claimed he was nearly there, green eyes stared up at him and the blond moaned, "Use y-your Hund-dred Power."

"Wh-what?" Kotetsu stammered, eyes widening extremely quickly, looking for all the world like Barnaby had asked him something insane. But then he thought about it, and remembered that Barnaby wasn't an ordinary human who his Hundred Power would tear clean in half. Barnaby had the exact same power he had—Well, the same power that also still lasted five full minutes. But still, the same power. It'd be fine. "Okay, but activate yours first," he answered, voice hoarse and gravelly, coming up from deep in his chest. And when Barnaby complied, sparks flew. And five minutes later, when the blue glow was finally dissipating from Barnaby's eyes, they ended up lying next to each other spent and panting in the dimly lit room and Kotetsu couldn't help but laugh. "Why didn't you tell me you liked me sooner, Bunny? Look what we've been missing," he said, but it was just breathy, elated teasing. He knew they couldn't have gotten here any faster. But for all of his worrying and wondering when they first started dating—he was glad they'd made it.

Barnaby knew sex with their powers activated would be spectacular. It was yet another thing he fantasized about on multiple occasions. The real deal was far better than anything he ever dreamed up, though. Getting to experience Kotetsu's Hundred Power first hand... was out of this world. "You know it wasn't that easy," Barnaby answered. His hand traced across Kotetsu's chest and stomach where it scarred from that fateful blast. The entire area where the suit ripped open was a paler shade than the rest of him, and the skin puckered ever so slightly in a perfect outline of where the suit tore open. "Believe me, I wanted to a bunch of times, but... It never seemed right."

"Yeah, I know," Kotetsu conceded, mussing up Barnaby's hair affectionately before sliding his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of slim fingertips on his skin. "Well, no use in my cryin' over it. We've got the rest of our lives to make up for lost time," he said, still chuckling under his breath.

"I like the sound of that," Barnaby hummed with a smile. He might only be 28 years old and Kotetsu already 40, but they both still had long lives in front of each other. That first time in bed together led to many more sexual encounters, all of them involving Barnaby insisting they use their Hundred Powers together. It never occurred to him that doing such a thing would lead to consequences. Consequences that roughly four months later had him feeling constantly drained and physically ill. He tried not letting it show. He still had hero work to do. For the most part, the other NEXTs were unaware, but Tiger knew since he was usually around when Bunny got sick in the late mornings and early afternoons. It hadn't interfered with work until now. A red light blinked at Barnaby inside his visor, alerting him to increased heart rate and general distress, which resulted in him throwing up inside his helmet. In the middle of pursuing the culprit. Jumping from one rooftop to the next. The sick obstructed his view and Bunny went crashing into the ground from twelve stories up in the air.

Kotetsu had been distressed about Barnaby's sickness from the very moment it started, and it bumped up into extreme concern when it rolled over into over two weeks without going away. And now for months, it persisted. But Barnaby still insisted on going out on hero duty, and... Well, Kotetsu got that. He would've been the exact same way if he was the one sick. But then Barnaby falling off the roof happened, and Kotetsu just barely managed to grab him with his grappling wire and stop him from going as hard into the pavement, and he knew they had to do something about it. But Barnaby still ended banged up pretty badly, and Kotetsu worried himself to death until they finally let his partner out from the hospital and sent him home.

Barnaby had handsome bruises on his collarbones, right shoulder, right elbow, and both hips. He also had to wear a brace on his right wrist and both knees. They told him he should recover within a week if he took it easy, but that wasn't going to be, well... easy. There was no keeping secrets in a hospital when doctors and nurses inspected your body closely from head to toe. They had questions when a normally physically fit young man had the strangest little pot belly. Barnaby tried insisting it was nothing, but the staff started speculating it could be an internal injury from the fall. An ultrasound was unavoidable and that's when Barnaby's world went spiraling out of control. He heard the doctor say it, but he couldn't believe it. A what? But how? The doctor was surprisingly calm, instantly suggesting it was a NEXT ability, as if it was perfectly natural. Barnaby didn't exactly jump on board with the sentiment. When asked about the father, the young man shook his head and said he was done. He needed to go home. And now he was home, fingering a certain recently printed photo in his pocket and wondering how he would even bring this up to Kotetsu. "Um..." Barnaby was shaking.

"You're back!" Kotetsu yelped, practically tripping over the step down into Barnaby's living room as he rocketed over to the blond at the door. Thankfully, they exchanged keys a while back, so when Kotetsu was told by the doctors to go home, that waiting in the lobby like a sad puppy wasn't going to do any good, Kotetsu was able to go to Barnaby's apartment and wait _there_ like a sad puppy instead. "What'd they say? How're you doing?" he asked, the questions bleeding into each other as he caught his fall with his hands but kept moving towards Barnaby anyway and managed to stand back up before he got to him. "Was anything particularly bad?"

"Just some sprains," Barnaby answered. "Heavy bruising." They were legitimate answers to legitimate questions, but he felt like he was stalling. The ultrasound picture in his pocket felt like it weighed a ton. "Kotetsu, there's something..." How did he even go about saying it? How would the man react? What if Kotetsu decided he was too old for more kids and ended the relationship right there? Barnaby wouldn't be able to stand that. "Do you remember what Tomoe was like when she... when she was pregnant with Kaede?"

"Huh?" Kotetsu responded, confusion immediately clouding a face that had been frowning concernedly just a moment ago. "Where's this coming from?" he asked, quirking a brow and taking a step closer to Barnaby. "Like sure, I remember, but why?"

Barnaby tensed, his shoulder rising up and his chin tucking down as he squeezed his eyes closed. "I need you to tell me what she was like, Kotetsu. In the early stages... what was she like? What did she go through?"

"Um," Kotetsu responded, pursing his lips. This was odd. "Well, uh... Her pregnancy was pretty low-key, at least that's what the doctors told us. She got sick sometimes, usually when she smelled something overly sweet... Gained a little bit of weight, but not a lot. Kaede was a small baby. And uh... I guess she craved a few foods she didn't normally eat, but nothing weird." He paused, considered his answer, and then looked back at Barnaby. "Does that... answer your question? At all?"

It sounded like Tomoe had it far easier than Barnaby, even from the start. Maybe he'd be lucky and have a small baby too. "Y-Yeah, it does. I just thought... maybe you'd think it all seemed familiar." Barnaby reached into his pocket and pulled out the photograph. He unfolded it, body trembling visibly, and held it up for the older man to see. "I went over the timeline with the doctors. They said... it c-could be anywhere from 13 to 15 weeks."

Kotetsu took the picture in his hands, brown eyes peering at the fuzzy gray shapes and knowing exactly what he was looking at as soon as he glanced at the photograph. "You're joking," he said, looking up at Barnaby and the distraught, tight look on his face. "Hey, hey, you look like you're going to pass out," he said, putting the photograph back into Barnaby's hands and stepping even closer to him, putting his hands on the other man's tense shoulders. "What do you think; a NEXT power?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"I... I don't know. I guess so," Barnaby said, his voice straining like he tried not to cry. "That’s what the doctor thinks. He can't explain it any other way. I haven't been thinking about h-how. I just..." Green eyes peered into amber eyes desperately. "Kotetsu, please, if this is too much for you... I know your age and a baby for someone your age is a lot, so... You n-need to just tell me now." A single tear fell down his cheek. "I have to know right now if this is happening with or without you, okay?"

"Whoa, okay, hold on," Kotetsu said, hushing the other man, reaching a hand up and wiping away that tear as soon as it emerged. "No crying, okay? I'm not going anywhere. How are you feeling right now?" he asked. Tomoe's mood-swings hadn't been bad when she was having Kaede, but she still had them. He knew that being dramatic and getting Barnaby worked up was not a good idea. "C'mon, come sit down." He decided to pull Barnaby along by his shoulders into the bedroom, forgoing the single computer chair in the middle of Barnaby's living room and taking them to the bed instead, so he could sit Barnaby down and then sit next to him, immediately starting to rub his back as soon as he was settled. "I’m only forty. Plenty of people have a kid at forty," he said, trying to keep the incredulous tone out of his voice so he didn't sound like he was whining—though, some of it still got through.

Barnaby tried taking a breath, but he hiccupped against the tears, making a "hu-hu-huh" sound as he followed Kotetsu through the condo. The most important question weighing on his mind now had an answer, but that just meant everything else had the chance to crash down on him like a thick, heavy wave. "I'm s-scared and confused," Barnaby admitted. "I never expected this. I didn't know NEXT powers could do this. I'm wondering how long I've been this way. I'm wondering how stable it is. If we hadn't used our Hundred Powers during sex, would it have happened? Will the baby be okay? I've been fighting criminals this whole time dealing blows and taking them, too. I've been jumping and running and falling. What if I scrambled it all up? What if I put too much stress on it and it dies tomorrow? How am I going to tell people? Is the city even ready for this? Am I ready for this? What's going to happen?"

"Don't worry about the city," Kotetsu said, still rubbing Barnaby's back. "And don't worry about what you did, because it's in the past and you can't change it. But now that we know, we can do what needs doing moving forward, right? And priority number one is making sure you're alright." There was a pause, where Kotetsu chewed on his lip because he wasn't exactly sure _how_ to make sure Barnaby was feeling all right. "Do you want a glass of water?" he tried offering, watching the blond lift up his glasses so he could wipe his eyes dry.

"I'd rather know how y-you're feeling," Barnaby insisted. "I mean, you seem to be taking it r-really well. I thought you'd be more... shocked." He supposed that since Kotetsu played the part of expecting father once before in his life, it softened the blow from the news of a new pregnancy. However, Barnaby was a man and that made things very odd.

"Sure, I'm shocked," Kotetsu said, "And pretty confused. And overall just... I dunno what. Maybe a little excited, but mostly confused. But you seem really upset," he said, quickly steering attention back to Barnaby. "So, I'm worried about that right now. I can be confused-excited-shocked later. And I will be, I can promise you that. Okay?"

Barnaby nodded. "Okay." He looked at the ultrasound picture in his hand. The doctor told him that at this stage, the baby was about the size of a lemon. He could hold a lemon in his hand. His baby was big enough to hold in his hand. That was so crazy. Barnaby swallowed and looked over at his boyfriend. "There's a baby in me. We _made_ a baby, Kotetsu."

"I know, right," Kotetsu answered, also looking at the photo Barnaby held. There was silence and Kotetsu immediately realized that wasn't really a satisfactory answer to Barnaby's statement. "Are you ready for that?" he added, glancing up from the photo to Barnaby's face instead.

Green eyes stared long and hard at the photograph, getting lost in thought. "I don't... know," he admitted. "Practically speaking, I'm at the age when people start getting married and having kids. Come to think of it... I'm the same age you were when Kaede was born." Now _that_ was trippy. "I have more than enough money. I have you. Then again... I never planned for kids, you know? Kaede is great, but she's already so independent and sassy. It's easy gaining a kid when they're grown up like that. A baby... I don't know what it means for my hero career." Barnaby looked at Kotetsu. "What did you do?"

"What did I do?" Kotetsu echoed. "Well, I... kept doing what I always did, honestly. Tomoe insisted that I not stop being a hero. Said the city needed me. But... I wasn't the one literally _having_ the baby," he pointed out. "This is a little bit different. You'd have to take a break. For a while, probably..."

Take a break... "But what will you do without me?" Barnaby asked. Kotetsu only had one minute of Hundred Power left. Bunny and the other NEXTs tried never bringing it up. They truly respected Kotetsu's decision to come out of retirement and he could handle himself pretty well, but still... Without Barnaby there to protect Kotetsu, which he did, he worried what could happen to the older man. "I mean, we're a team. If I'm not there... What if you get hurt?"

"Hey, c'mon," Kotetsu said, putting a hand on Barnaby's shoulder. "It'll be harder without you, but I can take care of myself! Maybe I'll step back down and help the B-League again until you get back, keep to the less dangerous stuff... Show those rookies the ropes, and then get back in the A-League game when you're ready. You wouldn't be gone for too long, just one season of Hero TV really." Kotetsu smiled what he hoped was an encouraging smile, sliding his hand down from Barnaby's shoulder onto his arm and pulling him closer. "What do you think?"

"I don't really have a choice, I guess." Barnaby moved closer to Kotetsu and leaned his head on the man's shoulder. "I will feel better if you move to the B-League for a while. I know you've been a hero much longer than me with twice the experience, but I honestly worry about you. One minute is barely any time at all. Having this baby means I need you to stick around and stay in one piece, even more than I needed you before." He sighed and rubbed his thumb across the little grey shape in the photo. "I just hope this doesn't turn into one of those big celebrity pregnancy deals."

"Well, you're kinda the only hero who's easy to check up on, no secret identity and all that," Kotetsu pointed out, making a small hissing noise between his teeth when Barnaby's words made him picture tabloids in his head. "We'll tell Mr. Lloyds and he'll come up with a convincing cover story for you. I'm sure it'll be fine!" he said, patting Barnaby's arm.

Barnaby frowned. "And what? Never go outside again?" _Never_ was a strong word, but it sounded like Kotetsu was suggesting he hide for the next six months. "I'm not going to stay cooped up inside all the time while you get to go out and be a hero. That hardly seems fair."

"Well..." Kotetsu answered, scratching thoughtfully at his beard with one finger. "I haven't exactly thought about that. Kinda still processing the news."

"Uuuugh..." Barnaby groaned and fell back on the bed with his arm over his eyes. Flat on his back, the bump in his belly was more noticeable under the knit fabric of his shirt. "I might as well come clean with the whole thing. I refuse to sneak around or never leave the condo. That's not a reasonable way to live. People are going to notice and ask questions. Either I need to be dating Wild Tiger or I need to be dating Kotetsu Kaburagi. I'll leave it to you to think about and decide which works better for you."

Kotetsu thought about that for a few minutes. "I think Wild Tiger would be better, 'cause if you say you're dating me, people are gonna look into who I am and my secret identity would be out the window, too. But I dunno how the company would feel about two of their heroes dating. Not really sure about the policy. You'd need to swing it by Ben and Mr. Lloyds." He then turned around and crossed his legs pretzel-style, facing Barnaby on the bed. The air seemed tense. He tried to think of something funny, something to make Barnaby smile. "I think the _real_ question is if we're going to say you have a second NEXT power that allowed you to get pregnant, or if _I_ have the amazing NEXT power to impregnate anybody. These are the big questions, Mr. Brooks."

"This isn't funny!" Barnaby snapped and lifted his arm, revealing a glaring gaze at Kotetsu. "I don't care about policy! This isn't business. This is our _life_ and the fact that we're going to be parents, Kotetsu. I'm not going to play the single celebrity father while I keep my civilian boyfriend silent and in the shadows. I refuse to have that kind of relationship. Okay? This is _our baby_, not some publicity stunt. Ben and Lloyds don't have anything to do with it. And I don't think it's anyone's business _how_ it happened."

Kotetsu wired his jaw shut and went stiff when Barnaby suddenly snapped at him. He swallowed hard, letting there be a moment of silence before he said, "Sorry," and then moved his brown eyes to stare silently at Barnaby's feet. Though keeping his eyes averted, he reached his hand out and took Barnaby's raised hand, bringing it down to lay them both on the crest where his stomach sloped back down to meet his chest. "I love you, okay? I'll give you whatever you need from me."

Barnaby tensed momentarily. This was the first time they both touched his stomach together since he started growing. All the irritation left him and a feeling of deep overwhelm washed over him instead. Barnaby felt the sting in his eyes just before the tears welled up and then slid down over his ears and into his hairline. A baby... Holy shit, a baby. Kotetsu's baby. "Will y-you s-stay here tonight?"

"Yeah, sure, that's not a pr—Are you crying?" Kotetsu said, eyes going wide when he finally looked back at Barnaby and saw those tear trails on the blond's face. He let go of Barnaby's hand just for a second so he could flip over onto his stomach, lying next to his boyfriend and taking his hand again with one hand while wiping his tears away with the other, propped up on his elbow. "What's wrong, Bunny?" he asked, voice quieter now that his face was right next to Barnaby's.

"I'm sorry I sn-snapped at you. I love you t-too," Barnaby said while Kotetsu settled in beside him. When asked what was bothering him, the blond hiccupped. "I g-got scared again. And overwhelmed. Kotetsu, I really, really need you for this. I don't want to hide m-my relationship with Wild Tiger anymore. When I'm interviewed and have t-to take pictures, I need you there with m-me, okay? I don't care if you're in y-your suit or your old costume. I need you to support me. I don't want to do any of this b-by myself." He stopped for a shaky breath and held Kotetsu's hand to his stomach again. "This isn't like being a hero. I d-don't know how to do this without you."

"Okay," Kotetsu answered, hushing his boyfriend and brushing back his bangs from his face. "I can be there in my suit. I'll always be there. Don't worry about it. I won't make you do this alone, okay? I know how hard that can be," he said, smiling weakly.

Barnaby sniffed quietly and nodded. He smiled back, or at least the best smile he could muster through his tears. "I mean... You did such a g-good job with Kaede. Being a dad is your best quality, Kotetsu. This baby and I would be a hot mess without you. I mean that."

Considering how rocky things had been with Kaede up until two years ago, Kotetsu wasn't sure how to take that comment. Well, Barnaby didn't really meet Kaede until she was starting to like her old man, so he'd just file it away as a compliment. "I'll be honest," he started, taking Barnaby's glasses off his face delicately as they fogged up with all his tears and sniffling, folding them and putting them aside on the nightstand, "This is a little earlier than I anticipated, but with things going as well as they are, I was gonna broach the kids topic eventually. Granted, I was thinking adoption, but... Sometimes life throws you a curve-ball, right?"

Barnaby blinked. Kotetsu's face was blurry until he leaned in close again, and he smiled at the man. "You were thinking about kids? I'm surprised. Having a teenage daughter is handful enough without a little kid running around." Only now, that little kid was going to be a crying baby in diapers. He reached up touching Kotetsu's face, thumb rubbing across one of the beard patches. "I'm flattered, though. I think I would have jumped on the idea. Being an orphan myself... I would actually have jumped on the chance to give a child a home with parents. Having one of our own, though... it's a nice curve-ball. I'm scared now, but I'm also looking forward to it. A little bit. I'll look forward to it more when, you know, the initial shock goes away."

Kotetsu smiled, understanding, and gently untangled his fingers from Barnaby's so he could pat the back of his hand. "You're gonna be alright," he said. "We've got some stuff to figure out, but it's nothing we can't handle." He laid there next to Barnaby for a while, just letting Barnaby keep sniffling until the tears were finally all dried up. He could also feel that it was starting to get late. "Anything I can get you before we go to bed?" he asked, depositing a kiss on Barnaby's forehead.

"Could you get me a glass of milk?" Barnaby asked. After all, he always drank a glass of milk before bedtime. He sat up, slid off the bed, and changed into a pair of red tailored pajamas with his initials embroidered over the little chest pocket. Kotetsu used to make fun of him for wearing such frilly pajamas, but then the older man discovered the joys of sliding up next to a silken boyfriend and changed his tune. "I'll call for a meeting with Lloyds tomorrow," he said when the brunet came back into the bedroom with his requested drink. "Figure out what the next step is."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Kotetsu answered. He handed the milk over to Barnaby and then started to strip off his own clothes. He just slept in his boxers, but he remembered the first time he stayed over at Barnaby's apartment, and Barnaby tried to offer him those exact same pajamas. Kotetsu laughed, got slapped, and slept on the chair in the living room. Now, he couldn't help noticing the slight gaping between the buttons of that silken sleep shirt towards the bottom couple of buttons. Kotetsu couldn't help but wonder how long that shirt was going to last. Tomoe didn't get very big when she was pregnant, and she still had to switch over to a small size maternity wardrobe a couple months in. And who knew how a male's body was going to adapt to all this, let alone a male NEXT. Kotetsu guessed there was no use speculating, though. He supposed he'd know the answers soon enough.


	3. Little Passenger

The meeting with Alexander did not go as well as Barnaby hoped. As a person, he was quite friendly, but as a manager, he was very strict. He doubted Barnaby's claim in the beginning. Yes, he could clearly see the lad was putting on weight, but it could be anything! He put in an order for a more thorough medical examination, which this time included blood work, a head to toe screening, and another ultrasound for which he was present. Lloyds couldn't deny the medical evidence and decided to get in touch with the executive producers. None of them were keen on letting Bunny leave the show. He and Wild Tiger generated top notch ratings each episode. They sought medical advice from their privately appointed physicians, who of course said it was still safe for Barnaby to fight crime. Barnaby didn't like this one bit and even tried arguing, but then they started talking about contracts and he just got a headache and conceded. Needless to say, Kotetsu threw a fit when Barnaby told him. It wasn't easy going forward, especially since he entered the stage where his sense of balance was a lost cause. His blood pressure didn't fare too well, either. It was exhausting. Barnaby started wondering when he'd ever be able to take that leave when his body took care of it for him.

He and Kotetsu were suiting up—his under-armor feeling uncomfortably snug for weeks now—when a loud buzzing sounded during application. The machine tried applying the armor to Barnaby, but the error alarm sounded again. Officially 18 weeks pregnant and Barnaby's belly was too big for the armor’s configuration anymore. He stood there, arms and legs half-assembled, and staring over at Kotetsu with a mixture of embarrassment and relief.

Kotetsu nearly jumped out of his skin when the alarm sounded, having never heard it before. He glanced over at Barnaby, and it only took him a second to figure out why they were hearing that sound. There was no way the slim torso armor piece the machine was holding was going to snap around Barnaby's waist—it just wasn't happening. And not a day too soon, because Kotetsu could also see the underarmor's color washed out from being stretched thin and Barnaby's arms and legs being squashed in the other armor pieces. It was time for that leave to be forced down Mr. Lloyd's throat, whether he liked it or not. Their contracts said, after all, that they couldn't be forced to fight if their armor couldn't be worn properly. It was a safety clause. Who knew Barnaby's late-night snacking of pastries Kotetsu bought for him covered in leftover fried rice-- which Barnaby wouldn't admit to developing cravings for-- would pay off in such a weird way?

Barnaby chuckled awkwardly just before the machine started removing the armor instead. He stepped down and rubbed at his back. Today was not a good day for fighting. "You go on ahead," he told his partner and lover. "It's just those novice bank robbers. They _actually_ wear ski masks. You'll handle them no problem. I'll be waiting here when you get back." Barnaby touched a hand to his stomach, which stuck out plain as day beneath the under-armor. "_We'll_ be here waiting for you. Time to go pay Lloyds another visit."

"Paid leave, and then we can talk about that whole public relationship thing," Kotetsu agreed, as the machine put the finishing touches on his own armor. Coming out to the public about the two of them dating was demanded just like the maternity leave, but the first issue had totally eclipsed the second. Now, it had to be talked about. "I'll take care of these lowlifes. See you in a few," Kotetsu said, smiling at his partner before flipping the visor down on his suit and heading out of the truck's deployment hatch.

That's when Mr. Saito came on over the intercom. "So, uh, should I drive you back to the company building, Barnaby?"

"That will be fine, Saito, yes." It was time to get out of this damn suit and back into his own clothes.

"Another exciting arrest on the part of Wild Tiger today, who continuously reminds us that age is just a number," said a reporter into the camera aimed on her blown out hair and television-heavy makeup. They arrived just as Tiger loaded the robbers into the back of a few police cars. "Great work out there, Wild Tiger. I'm sure today's solo act will get you a bucket of points, but everyone wants to know: exactly where is Barnaby Brooks Jr.? You two have been inseparable ever since coming out of retirement, yet here you are acting as a one man show. Care to explain?" she asked and held the mic towards him.

"Uh," Kotetsu responded eloquently. He always became very deer-in-headlights-ish when it came to impromptu interviews. At least when he and Barnaby went on talk shows, he could prepare! "He wasn't feeling well enough to get out here today," he said, which was technically the truth. They still weren't allowed to talk about the relationship or the baby, so he figured telling half-truths was the best he could do. "But he knew I could handle it myself this time," he added, thumping his chest plate with one hand proudly.

She smiled. "You certainly did. Speaking of not feeling well, some avid viewers claim they've noticed Barnaby struggling for about a month. Looking back at the footage, we noted several instances of tripping, near falls, an inability to lift heavy objects, and reduced speed. Rumors are going around that Barnaby's Hundred Power is staggering much like yours did. Could we be looking at a future duo of Wild Tiger One Minute and Barnaby Brooks One Minute? Without at least one partner with a full five minutes of power, how do you think that will affect your ability to fight crime? Will you both demote to the B-League, or will the two of you simply retire again?"

"Um." Kotetsu once again showed off his ability to think on the fly with a stammer and a long pause. "I mean, sure, he's been sick, but his Hundred Power still lasts the full five minutes, so, no worries about that. Besides, what happened to me is extremely rare. It's pretty unlikely it'll ever happen to Barnaby, so the citizens of Stern Build have nothing to worry about."

Another big TV smile. "Well, we're all glad to hear it. Everyone at the station hopes Barnaby feels better soon. Congratulations again on that brilliant arrest, Wild Tiger. I'm Tammy Keaton, and this has been Hero News Now on Channel 9. Thanks for watching." The woman paused for a few seconds and then swiped her hand below her chin. "Word of advice, Tiger, you should practice thinking on your feet a bit more. Not sure I buy what you're trying to sell."

Kotetsu frowned behind his visor, jabbing a finger at the air as he said, "Yeah, thanks. But my job's to catch criminals, not to be Bunny's PR department." Since the truck was gone, Kotetsu had been left with his motorcycle to bring him back to the station, and he angrily flipped up the kickstand with his foot as he swung his leg over the seat. "And B-League is not a demotion; it's temporary rookie training!" he shouted as he sped off.

Barnaby met Kotetsu in the locker room. He was back in his civilian clothing, which were a larger pair of jeans, his studded belt looped at less notches than once upon a time, and a red t-shirt that pulled down plenty far enough, but still drew tightly across his belly. He approached the older man, all smiles, and gave him a long kiss on the corner of his mouth. "I saw you on television. You handled that reporter like a pro. Those were some sharp questions she had in her arsenal."

"Did I?" Kotetsu asked, sighing a little as he wrapped an arm around Barnaby's waist. "I never liked when they came up for interviews right after an arrest like that. I'm never ready for them. And doesn't it seem sort of mean to try and get answers out of someone who just fought a bunch of criminals and probably got hurt doing it?" He sighed, lamenting in the whole interview thing, when his mind suddenly snapped to attention and he remembered that Barnaby had been dealing with something far more important this whole time. "How'd it go with Lloyds?" he asked, cautiously. "You know that if he's still being stubborn, I can go and talk to Ben about it."

Barnaby hesitated, looking down at both their feet. "It didn't go exactly the way I wanted," he admitted and then fixed his eyes on Kotetsu again. "They're giving me the maternity leave since modifying the suit to fit my figure would cost too much, and yes, they were considering that. I'll still get paid, too. Only... now they're hitting hard the public appearances section of my contract. Everything about the reveal is being planned for us. They're picking the morning talk show, a stylist is going to design you a disguise outfit you have to wear whenever we go out together." Barnaby touched his head, clearly nursing a headache. "It's exactly what I didn't want happening, but there's nothing we can do. The executive producers are talking about launching a new reality series concept about the life of a NEXT from birth to hero. This baby isn't going to be able to roll over without the whole city knowing about it."

Kotetsu went rigid. This didn't sound good. "I don't like that one bit," he said plainly, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I'll have to talk to Ben about this. It's a huge invasion of our privacy, not to mention it puts the baby at huge risk. Super villains and all that. Plus, we don't even know if the kid is gonna _be_ a NEXT! Sure, we both are, but there's an equal chance that the baby will be or won't be."

"Kotetsu, come on... How can it not be? Kaede turned out to be a NEXT even with just one NEXT parent. Two NEXTs have never procreated before, but given the fact my secondary power is the driving force behind this pregnancy, you know the odds are strong." Barnaby didn't like it any more than Kotetsu did, but he knew the producers had more than enough leg to stand on with those contracts. At the time of his debut, he'd been so willing to be in the spotlight and share his story that he allowed that part of his contract to go pretty deep and wide with obligations. He and Kotetsu were the bread and butter of Hero TV, and the producers would take them to court in a heartbeat. Barnaby rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really sore..." the blond murmured.

"If two normal humans can have a NEXT, I don't think it'd be too weird if two NEXTs had a normal human. The odds may be the opposite, but I'm sure there's still a possibility," Kotetsu argued. He frowned when Barnaby mentioned being sore, circling his hand around from the blond's waist to his back, rubbing small circles into it. "Let's get you home, okay? I'll come back in and talk to Ben about this tomorrow. He runs the company and he's my best friend, I know he'll take care of us."

Barnaby hummed. He wasn't so sure Ben had more sway than Lloyds in this instance, but he'd let Kotetsu try. "My back is always killing me. I feel like those exercises aren't helping." At the last visit to the doctor, Barnaby complained about the constant strain to his spine and how he felt bigger than he thought was normal. Kotetsu also chimed in about the blond's serious lack of balance. The doctor explained that it all had to do with the difference between men and women's pelvises. While women had a bowl-shaped pelvis that naturally cradled their uterus and the baby inside, men had a very box-shaped pelvis that offered none of that natural support. Poor Barnaby was stuck with a box pelvis and straight hips that made his belly stick out that much more. The doctor gave him low impact exercises that were supposed to strengthen his back muscles, but as he said, it didn't feel like they were doing any good. "Will you make fried rice when we get home?"

Kotetsu couldn't help chuckling. My, how the tables had turned on that one. Barnaby used to make fried rice for him and then refuse to touch the leftovers, and now he was suddenly cooking fried rice for the both of them. "Sure I will," he said, leaning over and kissing Barnaby's jaw where it met his neck. "Let me get out of this under-armor and then we'll head back," he said, sticking his tongue out as he started to peel it from the sweaty skin on his own neck. He watched Barnaby waddle over to the benches in the middle of the room and struggle to sit himself down, and he couldn't help frowning as he unzipped the back of his bodysuit. "Man, these NEXT powers don't really have a lot of foresight, do they?"

"I still don't like it," Barnaby insisted, talking about the fried rice. "Just because I crave it doesn't mean I like it. So don't think this means we're going to keep having fried rice night together until we're old and grey." Sitting down was in fact a chore without armrests to grip or a chair backing to catch him. He put one hand on the top of his stomach and another on the small of his back to encourage proper posture. "What do you mean?" he asked, watching Kotetsu peel out of the under-armor. Damn... look at those back muscles. Ugh, and then his butt in those little black Lycra shorts. Was it hot in here? It felt hot.

"I mean, considering the fact that you're not a guy with wide bone structure, this seems like a really weird secondary power for you to have. It's just not good foresight," Kotetsu said, oblivious to his partner's staring as he bent down to pull his feet out of one bodysuit leg at a time. "If this is some sort of new NEXT evolution thing, you'd think it'd crop up in someone who'd have an easier time with it. No offense."

"O-Oh right. Uh, none taken. You'd think so, huh?" Oh man, why'd he bend over like that? Kotetsu's thighs flexed and the dimples in his lower back appeared. Dear lord, it was so hot in here! The older man was covered in little scars from his hero days before the armored suit, and Barnaby thought they were all incredibly sexy. Kotetsu finally got the bodysuit off and stretched his arms up over his head, making all his back muscles flex beneath tan skin and then, "A-Ah shit!" Barnaby hissed when he felt blood dripping from his nose.

Kotetsu looked over his shoulder when he heard Barnaby cry out, and brown eyes went wide when he saw blood. "Whoa, are you alright Bunny?" he asked, quickly turning around and coming over to fuss over his partner, leaving his locker open and his civilian clothes dangling half-removed from their hangers. "Hold on, I think I have some tissues," he said, trying to reach into his pockets only to realize he was still only in the athletic shorts he wore under his under-armor, and quickly heading back into his locker to grab the tissues from his pants pocket and rush back over to Barnaby, crouching down in front of him and offering the packet up.

"I'm okay. I-I'm okay, really," Barnaby insisted with his hand cupped under his nose to catch the blood. "My blood pressure must have spiked after I sat down." That was a lie, albeit a convenient one since he struggled with low blood pressure for a couple of weeks. Damn it, but if Kotetsu didn't continue running around practically naked in those fucking awesome shorts that made his ass look amazing. Oh good, no good, and then he crouched, making his stomach muscles clench and show off his abs. Barnaby grabbed hastily at the tissues. "Will you _please_ get dressed now?"

"Eh? Oh," Kotetsu said, looking down at himself, and then back up at Barnaby with a smirk on his face. "Oh, I see," he said in a sing-song-y voice, raising himself up out of the crouch and affectionately ruffling Barnaby's hair. "Fine, I will. But you should be more careful little Bunny," he started, half-lidding brown eyes and smirk stretching into a handsome, toothy white grin. "You show your hand like that, and a Tiger would find it pretty hard to hold back." He turned around then, starting to take his clothes completely off their hangers as he added, "And in the company locker room of all places! Heads would totally roll if anyone saw _that_ security footage."

Barnaby blushed furiously as he pressed a tissue against his nose. "Stupid old man," he grumbled under his breath and forced his gaze elsewhere. He was embarrassed that he'd been caught, flustered yet again by Kotetsu's affectionate pet name for him, aroused by that smile, and a little indignant that Kotetsu seemed to be completely forgetting the time they gave each other hand jobs in the showers here. What, like that didn't count? The baby didn't know what was going on out there, but Barnaby's racing heart encouraged one of those little flutters it'd been capable of since last week, which prompted Barnaby to cup his hand against his belly. This day so far..._ Sheesh_.

"There's no security cameras in the bathrooms," Kotetsu reminded Barnaby, completely reading his mind as he changed out his under-armor briefs for normal briefs and pulled on his slacks. He then turned around to say something more as he buttoned up his crisp green shirt, but he was quieted when he noticed Barnaby cradling his stomach. "They moving?" he asked, taking all the sarcastic edge out of his voice, and his volume dropping like an actual baby bunny suddenly entered the room.

The blond nodded. He checked the tissue and saw it'd been a quick bleed, so he just crumpled the tissue and shoved it in his pocket to throw away later. "Those little fluttery feelings I told you about. It's not a kick. Just... kind of like they wiggle a tiny bit, and I can feel it." Barnaby puffed out a laugh. "Even though the sensation is small, it still startles me sometimes."

"It's called quickening," Kotetsu said, smiling more softly now as he finished buttoning up his shirt and shrugged on his vest. "When we were expecting Kaede, she moved almost constantly, even before she could kick, so... I heard about those little fluttery feelings a lot." He then put on his hat and chuckled. "This baby seems a lot more relaxed, though. And they like sweets! Kaede never made Tomoe want sweets... I wonder if that means anything."

"You said sweets made Tomoe feel sick, didn't you?" Barnaby noticed some things starting to make him feel sick. The first had been peanut butter and then it was avocados. It was strange with the two foods being completely unrelated, other than Barnaby knowing the taste and smell made him want to puke. But sweets... Oh, Barnaby could almost never have enough sweets, or fried rice, or fried rice on sweets. Weird cravings. Once Kotetsu slipped on his shoes, Barnaby hoisted himself to his feet with a deep exhale. He was very, very grateful he didn't have to go chasing after those bank robbers today. "All set?" he asked and walked over to his partner.

"All set," Kotetsu said. And they made their way out of the building and into the parking lot, they were soon at their designated parking spots. Both of their cars sat in their respective spots, and this was where they used to part ways, but now they usually climbed into one car, went home to one of their places, and then took the same car in to work together the next time they were called. "Y'know," Kotetsu said, having a thought as he looked at the two cars sitting side-by-side, one of which would be left behind for the night. "We should probably think about who's gonna move in with who before the baby comes."

"Oh, you're moving in with me," Barnaby said without missing a single beat. He headed towards Kotetsu's car, pausing at the passenger side door until it unlocked. Even when they took his car, Barnaby rode shotgun since he didn't feel safe being the one behind the wheel anymore. "And it's 'whom,' hun. I'm surprised you thought there was any thinking to be done about it. My condo it much cleaner, trendier, and appropriately sized. Besides, if you're so worried about your secret identity, what would people think when I moved into a place registered to one Kotetsu Kaburagi?"

"Appropriately sized? Who here has two floors?" Kotetsu asked as he opened the driver's door and got in. "I can clean the place up, that's no problem. You've got a huge living room but no extra room to turn into the kid's room, so... Sure, your apartment's swanky and all, but I've got a brownstone. I thought you'd be moving in with me."

Barnaby huffed and rolled his eyes. "Kotetsu, you don't have two floors." He grunted quietly as he lowered himself into the front seat. "You have a loft with a bed in it above the kitchen. The stairs don't even have a proper railing. Do you really see me seven, eight months pregnant and trying to climb up there?"

"Fair enough," Kotetsu said, pursing his lips as he started the car. "I'm just worried about the kid not having any personal space if we're in a one bed, one bath apartment. You know how kids can be," he murmured, clearly referring to his daughter.

Kaede _was_ particular about having her own space. They could keep a crib in the bedroom with them for a while, but even toddlers needed their own rooms in order to establish boundaries and independence. Barnaby twisted a blond curl around his finger. "Then I guess the only option left is to get an entirely new, neutral, family-sized place to live."

"I guess so," Kotetsu sighed, a suddenly melancholy look coming over his face as they pulled out of the parking lot and started to head for home. Part-way down the road and he began to chew on his lip, looking suddenly worried about something.

"Kotetsu?" Barnaby could always tell when his boyfriend slipped into an uncharacteristic silence. "Babe, what's wrong? We can get another brownstone if you have your heart set on that style." He reached over and touched the man's shoulder. "You can bring your stuff with you too. I won't mind."

Kotetsu couldn't help chuckling softly at that. "No, it's not the apartment that's bothering me," he said. "I just... I'm worried about Kaede," he admitted, as he flipped on the turn signal that brought them up onto the next level of Stern Build, which they could use to cut right to his neighborhood. "I know that probably seems random, but I kept me being a hero a secret from her until she was ten, and even then I wasn't the one to tell her. Plus, I had her grow up living with her grandmother to keep her away from that life... But now this kid will live with the both of us growing up, and will know that we're heroes. And that's great, don't get me wrong, but... I don't want Kaede to feel like she got short-changed."

"Oh, I see..." Kotetsu made plenty of good points. Kaede was on the verge of becoming a teenager, and that was almost scarier than any super villain was. Kotetsu confessed to Barnaby on a few occasions that his relationship with his daughter was rocky for a long time, that the girl almost disowned him a few times. She was old enough now to understand why he did it, but there was also that age-old rumor that second kids got the sweeter end of the deal than the firstborns since parents decided the hassle wasn't worth it the second time around. "The circumstances are different, though. It wasn't just your decision to keep your identity a secret. Hadn't it been one of Tomoe's requests that you keep Kaede safe? She must understand and appreciate that it was partly her mother's decision and not just yours."

"Be that as it may, she's still gonna draw comparisons between how she grew up and how her half-sibling is gonna grow up," Kotetsu said, now drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as they waited behind a particularly slow car in front of them. "No matter how much she understands what her mother wanted for her, she's still gonna remember all the times she had her feelings hurt by how I decided to have her raised... So..." He frowned, taking a moment's pause to think, before he said, "If we're going to go ahead and get a family-sized residence, I want to give Kaede the option to have a room there, too. Even if she decides she doesn't want it, or that she does but only wants to live in it sometimes, I want to give her the option... What do you think about that?"

Barnaby smiled. Kotetsu tried so hard being a good dad, which was never easy when a teenager was involved. He squeezed his partner's shoulder. "I think it's a great idea, Kotetsu. Even if she doesn't move in with us completely, I'm sure she'll still appreciate the invitation to be an active member of our lives. We'll look for a place with a guest suite so that she can have her own room and bathroom away from everyone else. We'll make sure she has her own key, too. That way, she can choose when she wants to be there, and when she is there, she can choose when to be a member of the shared space or not."

Kotetsu let out a long breath, nodding. "Yeah... Yeah, that sounds perfect," he said, finally managing a smile. "I just don't want her to feel left out. But I also don't want her to feel obligated to uproot herself and come to the city in order to be involved in her half-sibling's life... Not to mention, I couldn't take her completely away from Mom. That wouldn't be fair to either of them. So we'll want somewhere with four bedrooms. One for us, one for each kid, and a guest room... Right?"

Barnaby nodded, glad he could offer Kotetsu some solace. "Right, four bedrooms, and enough bathrooms so that she can have her own." He pressed his lips together and touched his stomach before taking a quick inhale. "Do you really have to say it like that? Half-sibling? It... makes me feel like the baby isn't part of the family. Like it's an outsider or something."

"Oh," Kotetsu said, raising his eyebrows like he hadn't considered that, as they took an exit that would bring them back down to their level of the city. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I just... Well, I'd say 'little brother' or 'little sister', but we don't know what we're having yet."

"No, I know, it's just the 'half' part that bothers me," Barnaby explained. "I know technically it's true, but emotionally... it feels like a way to disconnect. I don't want to alienate the baby or Kaede from each other by using 'half' labels. It's important, at least to me, that we feel like a real family. Kaede is very important to me and she feels like a daughter sometimes, or at the very least like a niece. What I'm trying to say is... Well, like I said, um... I just want us to be a family unit. All four of us."

"I understand that," Kotetsu said, taking the turn into their neighborhood, as the buildings around them turned to the familiarity that told them they were almost home. "I dunno how Kaede will adjust to all this, but... Well, I can certainly drop the 'half' technicality." He paused, and then added with a grin, "Though I gotta admit, I really just can't wait until I can say 'brother' or 'sister'."

Barnaby smiled. "I can't wait to find out, either. I've been debating with myself about whether I want a boy or a girl. Part of me wants to give Kaede a sister, and you've already gone through raising a daughter once, so you'd know how to do it again. On the other hand, raising a boy might be more familiar territory simply being men ourselves. Don't get me wrong, I'll be happy no matter what, but I think... I have my heart set more on a girl?"

"Yeah?" Kotetsu responded, carefully parallel parking the car outside his brownstone. He turned off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt, but chose to sit in the car with Barnaby for just a moment longer. "I... am not really sure which one I have my heart more set on. I loved raising a daughter and would love another one, but Kaede's still my little girl. So a son would be nice, too."

Still smiling, Barnaby reached over and held Kotetsu's hand. "Guess we'll just have to make an appointment to find out. I can't wait to see you in action, hun. You have the best dad energy, especially when you're around little kids." They'd done enough guest appearances at schools and children’s hospitals for Barnaby to see how great Kotetsu was with children. The man was still very young at heart, so it was easy for him to be goofy and play, while also being very protective. Barnaby started leaning in for a kiss, but he suddenly paled and scrambled to open the car door instead. He rushed over towards the row of hedges in front of the brownstone where he promptly emptied his stomach with a wet heave.

Kotetsu leaned over for the kiss, but in a blink of an eye Barnaby was suddenly facing the other way and trying to get out of the car. Kotetsu got out of the car just as fast, his face going from confused to sympathetic as soon as he saw Barnaby hunched over the greenery. Kotetsu locked up the car and then jogged over to his lover's side, placing a hand on his lower back and rubbing in small circles. "Feel okay to make it inside?" he asked.

Barnaby reached into his pocket, pulled out the crumpled tissue, and used the clean side to wipe his mouth. "Yeah, I'm okay." He followed Kotetsu into the apartment. In the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of water. He used the first sip to swish and spit into the sink, and then he drank the rest of it slowly. Barnaby finally retired himself to the couch, sitting down with a pillow behind him and leaning his head on the back of the couch. "Sorry about the bushes."

"The bushes will survive," Kotetsu joked, draping his front half over the back of the couch, chin resting on one of the back pillows. "Do you still want fried rice?" he asked. Sometimes getting nauseous would change Barnaby's cravings, though it rarely squashed them entirely.

The blond nodded. "My little passenger is still insisting on it, yes." Barnaby listened to the sounds of Kotetsu moving around in the kitchen and soon he could smell the rice cooking. "Do you think you want to stay in this same neighborhood, or would you be willing to live more in the city center? I know you like the peace and quiet out here, but if we lived closer to headquarters, then it would take you less time to get back there in case, you know... something happens."

The way Barnaby said that gave Kotetsu pause. In case something happened? He bit his lip, feeling a familiar wash of worry come over him. His chest tightened up ever so slightly and he felt a sting in the back of his eyes, which he shook his head to dispel. "Oh, sure, I mean... That makes sense, yeah," he called back.

Barnaby heard the crack in Kotetsu's voice and he frowned at himself. Why did he have to go and say that? The last thing he wanted to do was give his boyfriend reason to worry when he shouldn't. So far, other than boxy man bones, general baby aches and lingering morning sickness, the pregnancy was fairing just fine. As much as he wanted to stay on the comfy couch, Barnaby forced himself onto his feet and walked into the kitchen. Green eyes watched Kotetsu stir the rice in the pan. Barnaby could see the tightened muscles in his cheeks and jaw, which was a strong indication the older man was trying not to cry. Barnaby sighed and wrapped his arms around Kotetsu's waist, leaning into him from behind. "I didn't mean to upset you... Nothing is wrong with me."

Kotetsu jumped a little when Barnaby seemed to suddenly appear behind him, but then relaxed into the other man's embrace. "I know, I just... I can't help but worry. You never know when something can go wrong," he said, stifling a shaky exhale.

"I know... I know, but we're taking all the right steps now. I'm going on maternity leave, so I won't be in the suit or fighting anymore. I visit the doctor every two weeks, I take all the vitamins, I get enough sleep..." Barnaby couldn't help chuckling and giving Kotetsu a squeeze. "I eat like a hog. We're doing everything we're supposed to do. I would tell you in a heartbeat if I thought something was wrong, okay? I won't hide anything from you, especially not about the baby. ...I love you."

Kotetsu weakly laughed along with Barnaby, putting a hand on top of the blond's arms across his stomach. "You're right," he sighed, nodding his head and closing his eyes for a moment. There wasn't anything to worry about. Barnaby was in good health. Everything would be fine. "I love you too," he said, craning his head back and kissing Barnaby's nose, since it was all he could reach.


	4. Good Morning Stern Build

The producers at Hero TV wasted little time setting up the reveal segment. Naturally, they chose the talk show with the highest viewer ratings: _Good Morning Stern Build_. The hosts were a favored pair with a blonde, intelligent woman named Cathy and a clean-cut, charming man named Roger. Normally, Barnaby loved going for interviews, but he was a nervous wreck this time. He didn't know how people were going to take the news. Would they be accepting of this kind of NEXT power, or would he suddenly become a freak? The stylist dressed him in a pink, short-sleeved Henley shirt, khakis, and brown loafers. Meanwhile, Kotetsu received a new look with a dark green muscle shirt under a black leather moto jacket, dark jeans, and black boots all to match his black eye mask. Barnaby paced off set, wishing more than ever he could have a cup of coffee to settle his nerves.

"I look like some kind of bad boy," Kotetsu mumbled, inspecting the inner lining of the leather jacket with a frown on his face. The man was always inclined to button-up shirts, slacks, and spats, so the whole ensemble felt off. But then Barnaby crossed into his line of sight, and he clammed up about the clothes, remembering that there was a much bigger concern at hand. "Hey, it'll be fine," Kotetsu insisted, coming up next to Barnaby and walking with him as he circled around the off-stage area, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't think they were going to re-invent you," Barnaby said, obviously overhearing Kotetsu's grumbles. "When the stylist said she wanted to make you look younger and cooler, I wanted to smack her. What's so wrong with classic and handsome? And younger? Why do I seem like the only person who doesn't care about your age? And I feel like a twit. I haven't worn khakis since I was in junior high." He made himself stop and take a breath since the anxiety was giving him a stomach ache. "Did they tell you? The hosts don't know. The producers—get this—the producers only said that we have some big news to share. Cathy and Roger are going to be blindsided when I tell them. Are the producers playing some kind of game?"

"The younger look is sort of... dumb, I agree. I feel like I'm wearing my brother's college duds." He paused to think about what Barnaby said next, twisting his mouth into a frown as he thought. "I'm guessing they're trying to create one of those virus videos on the internet by trying to get really real reactions out of them," Kotetsu sighed after a moment of thinking about it, nodding his head in agreement with his partner.

Barnaby pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, Kotetsu, honey, it's a viral video. Not a virus video." Okay, so maybe Kotetsu could stand to be less old in the technology department, but they could work on that later. One of the stage hands walked by and gave them a five-minute warning. Barnaby faced his boyfriend and grabbed both his shoulders for support as he leaned forward taking deep breaths. This would be fine. This would be okay. He and Kotetsu wanted to do this. They didn't want to keep it a secret. He looked up into those amber eyes. "Promise to hold my hand the whole time?"

"'Course," Kotetsu said, smiling warmly and putting his hands on Barnaby's hips, patting them comfortingly. "I'm gonna be right next to you on that couch the entire time. They always want you to talk more on these things, but if you need any help at any point, just squeeze my hand and I'll do my best, okay?"

Barnaby nodded. "Okay. Yeah, okay."

"We have two very special guests on our show this morning. Stern Build's favorite hero duo has some big news they want to reveal, and if you can believe it, not even we know what it is," said Cathy, all smiles and Roger nodded beside her. "Let's get them out here, huh? Give a big welcome to Barnaby Brooks Jr. and Wild Tiger!" The audience applauded as the pair walked on set, waving with their free hands as the others clasped together. "Good morning, boys, glad to have you on the show," she greeted cheerfully.

Barnaby smiled. "We're glad to be here, Cathy. Thanks for having us."

Roger raised an eyebrow and looked genuinely impressed as he commented, "Wild Tiger, love the jacket, buddy. Good to see a cool hero dressing like a cool guy."

"Ah, thanks," Kotetsu answered, as they settled onto the guest's couch opposite the hosts' respective armchairs. Kotetsu was much better at rolling with the punches in planned interviews than those sprung on him by random reporters, but he still had a tendency to flounder. He just hoped he could keep it together and do his best for Barnaby's sake. "Y'know what they say—a hero's gotta dress sharp in and out of the hero suit." At least, that had been the blurb under a fashion photoshoot spread he and Barnaby had been roped into back in the day. That counted as people saying it, right?

Roger chuckled. "Those sound like words we can all live by."

"So," Cathy chimed in, "we've heard you two have something big you want to tell everyone. I think I speak for all of us when I say we're dying to know."

"Well, Cathy, with the way they're holding hands, I think these two might have made a love connection."

Barnaby just smiled. "It's true, actually. After spending the last couple of years as partners in crime fighting, we've found ourselves partners in romance, too."

Roger looked a bit stunned that his joke turned out to be the truth. Cathy recovered much more quickly. "Congratulations, you two! Barnaby Brooks and Wild Tiger aren't only the first hero pair, but the first hero couple of Stern Build!" The audience clapped, but there were a few forlorn women who voiced their disapproval. "Uh-oh, Barnaby, sounds like you're breaking some hearts."

Kotetsu couldn't help laughing a little bit and put his fist up to his mouth to hide his smile. Okay, okay, it was childish, but he couldn't help being a little pleased with himself over how many women were going to be pissed about this. But that wasn't what they were here to really talk about, and if they went down that rabbit hole, Bunny wasn't gonna be able to get the interview back to the surface—so to speak. "That's not the entirety of our announcement, though," Kotetsu said, squeezing Barnaby's hand gently.

"What's next? A wedding?" Roger joked, but then hesitated when he might be proven right again.

Barnaby shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, we're not getting married."

"How long have you two been together?" asked Cathy.

"Almost a year," replied Barnaby. "We were waiting for the right time to tell people. The second half of our announcement is the main reason we decided to come out now."

"Rumors have been flying lately about your rough performance on Hero TV the last couple months, and now you've been absent the last four episodes. Does your announcement have anything to do with that?"

Barnaby took a deep breath. "Actually, Cathy, it does. You see, it's come to my attention that I have a secondary NEXT power." Both hosts and the audience looked intrigued, sitting on the edge of their seats to hear more. "It's not a kinetic power, which is what pretty much all NEXT powers have been so far. That's why it took us so much by surprise." Barnaby realized he was rambling. "I... We, Wild Tiger and I, are going to have a baby."

The entire studio fell silent for a few long seconds. Cathy finally shook her head a little and blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I..." Barnaby touched his belly. "I'm pregnant."

"That's his NEXT power," Kotetsu clarified, as if that wasn't clear. Though honestly, the addition was mostly to fill space, to break up the uncomfortable silence. "It took us by surprise, too. And so, y'see, that's why he hasn't been on Hero TV for the last few episodes, and probably won't be for a while moving forward." The words sort of fell out of his mouth in a continuous stream, and then silence gripped the studio again, and Kotetsu just smiled awkwardly.

"Your NEXT power is pregnancy?" Cathy asked, repeating the information back in disbelief. Barnaby started getting nervous. He could hear people in the audience mumbling to each other and a few people even got up and left.

"I don't know how to explain it more than that," he said. Barnaby squeezed the life out of Kotetsu's hand now. He wasn't going to say he and Kotetsu used their Hundred Powers during sex, which mostly likely led to the activation of his second power. That was private! "I've been to see a few doctors and they said everything is there. I was shocked and confused at first, but now I couldn't be happier." He forced a smile. "Wild Tiger and I love each other. I think it's only natural we start a family together."

Roger seemed skeptical. "Isn't Wild Tiger twelve years your senior?"

"Age doesn't mean anything to us. Forty is the new thirty and his Hundred Power keeps him in great physical condition. I hardly think it matters."

Cathy held her hand over her ear piece before looking up. "I'm told we have some content. Hank, can we get it up on screen?" The large screen behind them turned on and displayed an ultrasound photo from Barnaby's latest visit. The blond man tensed. He never gave permission for that!

"It's true," Roger whistled.

"You're really showing," Cathy observed, glad to finally have an explanation for that. "How far along are you?"

"About 20 weeks," Barnaby answered, still nervous.

The woman's jaw dropped. "And you _just now_ stopped crime fighting? Why didn't the producers let you stop sooner? That's incredibly dangerous for your baby!"

Barnaby looked surprised that she was suddenly back on his side. "Well, we went to them a few times, but ratings..." Suddenly, the crowd booed, declaring how outrageous that was and that Barnaby should have been put on leave much sooner.

"I know, right?" Kotetsu agreed loudly over the booing, turned towards the audience and encouraging the outcry in support of Barnaby. He felt his hand practically being folded in on itself by Barnaby's crushing grip, but he just kept that crooked smile on his face and kept the pained edge out of his voice. "I understand the general idea," Kotetsu then went on to say, after the crowd quieted down. "Crime won't stop for us, after all. But for Barnaby's and the baby's health and safety, he'll be stepping out of the A-Rank Hero race for a few rounds. And I'll be moving back down to B-Rank to help the rookies until he comes back, and then we'll go back to competing in A-Rank as a duo, as per usual."

"Well, that sounds like a dynamite plan, guys," said Roger as he gave a hearty swing of his fist.

"Have you been able to tell if this forced crime fighting caused any damage to the baby?" asked Cathy, still fired up about that particular irresponsible injustice.

Barnaby hesitated. He worried about the same thing. "Doctors told us everything was fine," he answered, though he feared there was only so much a black and white image could tell you. The baby could be born and suddenly they find something wrong with it. "I tried being careful. I knew I needed to be a hero, but I tried taking it easy. It was a difficult balance. Doctors told me the baby was still okay. I didn't... do anything to hurt it."

"Hey, the kid's gonna be a regular tiger cub. Being our kid, I'm sure the baby'll be just fine," Kotetsu interjected, waving one hand encouragingly while the knuckles on his other hand turned white. God, Barnaby had some grip when he was nervous!

"That is an interesting point." Cathy leaned forward, eagerly eyeing the pair. "No two NEXTs ever had a baby before. Do you think that means your child will definitely be a NEXT? After all, when two recessive genes come together, that trait usually is guaranteed. Will you raise the baby to be a future hero, or are you willing to let them pursue their own dream even if it's not fighting bad guys?" Barnaby was still hung up on the whole 'did your superpowers hurt your baby' question, so all he could do was look at Kotetsu for help.

"Uh," Kotetsu answered, stumbling a little bit as he processed all the questions. "Well, we're not sure if we're expecting a NEXT child or not. Probably? Either way, we won't put any pressure on the kid to follow our career path. That'll really be up to them. I mean, my daughter's a NEXT, but I haven't tried to tell her she has to go into the hero business." Kaede became something of an interest to the Hero TV fans after she appeared briefly when Wild Tiger "died" and Maverick was captured. Her name never came out, but everyone still knew about Wild Tiger's mysterious daughter. Kotetsu hoped that this new child could be the same way—known about so he could talk about his kids freely, but not have their name or personal details out in the public eye. But it seemed like that plan was getting shot in the foot by the network right from the word go.

Cathy smiled. "Well, sounds like you two have quite the adventure ahead of you. Congratulations on the exciting news and thank you so much for being here with us to share the news with Stern Build. We hope to have you back on the show again soon for an update." She looked back towards the camera. "Coming up, a munchkin kitten named Twinkle is taking the internet by storm. We've got Twinkle and her owner here today to show us some of her adorable moves. We'll be right back." The red lights above all four cameras turned off and that was Barnaby's cue to jump up, run to the nearest bathroom and throw up into the toilet.

Kotetsu nearly got yanked off the couch by Barnaby as the man got to his feet with Kotetsu's hand still grasped firmly in his, only letting go when he ran off, and the whole of the studio audience watched him go, murmuring confusedly. "Morning sickness," Kotetsu explained sheepishly, rocking up onto his feet and started quickly off after his partner.

"Mr. Brooks, can I get you some water?" asked one of the stage attendants who peered into the open bathroom. The only response she got was a wet heave. She turned when she heard Kotetsu's quickly approaching footsteps. "Should I call a doctor?" she asked while clutching a clipboard to her chest.

"I don't need a doctor," moaned Barnaby's voice from the single stall, followed by the sound of the toilet flushing. He went to the sink, wet a paper towel, cleaned his mouth with it, and then stepped back out. "Let's just go to the green room," he said and dragged Kotetsu along by the hand, his own grip a little too tight still.

'Thanks for trying,' Kotetsu mouthed at the wide-eyed assistant, allowing himself to be dragged along. Once they were around the corner and out of the girl's sight, he glanced over his shoulder, and then spun himself around so he wasn't walking backwards. "How're you doing?" Kotetsu asked, somewhere between concerned and confused as Barnaby clutched his hand in a vice grip and led him through the backstage area purposefully.

"Why did she have to ask a question like that?" Barnaby said, even though Kotetsu had no idea to which question the blond was referring. "Does she not think something like that isn't already on my mind? I don't think a single day has gone by without me wondering—worrying—about my crime fighting affecting the baby." Once they were in the green room, Barnaby shut the door and looked directly at his masked boyfriend. "I used my Hundred Power so many times while I've been pregnant. You know what happens. Our heart rate goes up, our metabolism speeds up, our circulation increases, testosterone increases, adrenaline spikes... Everything about that is insanely dangerous for an unborn baby! I know the doctor keeps saying the baby is fine, but what if it's born too early, or has a hole in its heart, or doesn't weigh enough, or its lungs aren't developed enough, or...?"

"And then what?" Kotetsu interjected, grabbing both of Barnaby's shoulders and giving them a firm squeeze. He briefly noticed that he had to flick his eyes just slightly upwards to look into Barnaby's, felt embarrassed, and then quickly banished the thought. Not the time. "Bunny, I know you're worried, and hell, I'm worried too. But worrying now isn't gonna fix any of those problems if they come up later, y'know? The best thing to do right now is try and stay calm, and take it easy for the rest of the pregnancy. Do everything in our power to take the best care of the baby we can... That's the best we can do. And no more Hundred Power until the baby arrives."

Barnaby took a sharp inhale when Kotetsu grabbed him. Yes, fine, worrying wasn't going to fix anything, but still. His chest felt tight and tears stung his green eyes. "I just can't help feeling like..." He stepped closer, wrapped both arms around the man, and buried his face in Kotetsu's shoulder. "If something does go wrong, it's going to be my fault."

"Bunny..." Kotetsu murmured, reaching his own arms up and wrapping them around the other man's waist, rubbing his back in small circles. What were you supposed to say to that? "I'm sorry," he finally said, burying his face in curly blond hair. "I'm scared too. But no matter what happens... It's not your fault. And I'm going to do my best for both of you. Okay?"

"Okay," Barnaby replied, his voice a muffled whisper. He didn't cry so much as he kept taking sharp, tiny inhales and blinking his wet eyes. It was close to crying, but not what most people thought of as normal crying. Barnaby didn't start calming down until he felt Kotetsu slowly sway them back and forth. One tan hand held his hip while the other slid along until holding his pale palm. He couldn't help a smile and a quiet laugh. Kotetsu hadn't taken him dancing since he started showing and losing his balance. "You always know just what to do..."

Kotetsu couldn't help a chuckle. "I need to be able to do this much for you," he answered. He hummed quietly, rocking them back and forth and making a slow, full circle. When the circle finished, he leaned his head down and spoke into Barnaby's ear, voice soft. "You wanna head home?"

Dancing proved incredibly cathartic, or therapeutic, or whatever the right word was. Barnaby felt better when the circle ended and smiled. "Actually, I was hoping we could go out for waffles?" he asked. "I know you'd like to get out of these silly clothes, but I've had a craving all morning." Barnaby felt a little guilty that Kotetsu was now contractually obligated to wear his mask whenever out in public with the blond man—especially since they dated nearly a year without him wearing it—but now they were in the spotlight. "You can drink all the coffee and eat all the bacon you want, and I'll pay for everything."

"Sounds like a deal to me," Kotetsu said, smiling understandingly. He really did want to get out of these clothes, but he wasn't going to say no to free coffee and bacon. "But I'm paying for your food at least, 'cause I'm gonna run you up on that coffee." He leaned over and placed a kiss on Barnaby's neck, and then rolled back his shoulders and smirked. "So, be honest with me. Do I look like a total bad-ass with the jacket and the mask? You can swoon if you need to."

Barnaby laughed. "I don't know about swooning, but if I had to be honest?" His eyes swept Kotetsu up and down behind those glasses, and then he grinned. "You do look kind of cool. Like the dangerous bad boy that all the girls fall in love with and think they can fix you." That was such an embarrassing reference to every teen movie and television show Barnaby watched growing up. "Also, as much as you run me up on coffee, I think you're underestimating how much me eating for two is going to run you up."

Kotetsu turned a little pink on the tips of his ears when Barnaby looked him over. He wasn't expecting anything less than to be made fun of, so Barnaby saying he looked cool was kind of awesome. Maybe there was something to this outfit... Would the stylist notice if he didn't give it back? "Well, I'll accept my dadly duties and pay for it anyway," Kotetsu said, thumping a hand to his chest. "Even if it does make my bank account cry a little."

The blond smirked. "Dadly duties? All right, sitcom star, if you say so." They left the set after that, not even caring the show wasn't over yet and that someone might want to talk to them afterwards. Barnaby didn't need that kind of attention right now anyway. At the breakfast place, he ordered the largest chocolate milk they had, two orders of scrambled eggs with cheese, and four Belgian waffles with bananas, whipped cream, cinnamon, and maple syrup. "Do you think we should start brainstorming names?" he asked while buttering one of the biscuits from the complimentary basket and then putting peach jelly on it. Some people in the restaurant kept looking over, obviously having watched the morning segment and now surprised to see him and Wild Tiger in public, baby belly and all.

"Maybe, unless you want to wait until after we know the gender," Kotetsu pointed out, drinking his coffee without adding much of anything to it. "That's what we did with Kaede. Didn't even think about boy's names." He pondered that for a second, tapping the tiny spoon that came with his coffee—which was sitting unused—against the side of the table. "You're a junior, right? Would you want to keep your name going if it was a boy?"

"It would be nice to honor my father's memory by carrying the name forward," Barnaby admitted with a nod. "You're right, though. It makes more sense to wait until we know if it's a boy or a girl." He took a rather large bite of the biscuit, consequently smudging peach jelly on his upper lip. "At the same time, we could still talk about American names versus Japanese names. We could say that if it's a boy, he gets my name, and if it's a girl, you can name her. Then we have an equal chance at getting to choose a heritage name."

"Sounds fair enough... I would like my kids to have Japanese names, but I get the whole importance of a generation-to-generation kinda name." Kotetsu stroked his beard, thinking about if he had another girl's name up his sleeve. Kaede's name had been his choice, so... "Well, actually, using my mom's name might not be such a bad idea."

"Anju?" Barnaby thought about that, finally licking the jam from his lip, and then nodded. "It's a pretty name. Now that I think about it... if we have a boy, it might be better to give him a Japanese name. He's going to have a Japanese sister, grandmother and uncle, and I don't want him feeling alienated from the rest of the family by having a different kind of name. Would... Is there anything in Japanese that sounds like Barnaby?"

"Um..." Kotetsu thought about that, bringing the tiny spoon to his lips and chewing on it instead of tapping it on the table. "Actually... There's Banabi. No 'r' in the middle, and it's with an 'i' at the end, and you put the stress on the 'na' rather than the 'by' part, but... It's pretty close."

Barnaby hummed, saying the name to himself in his head a few times. He glanced over at Kotetsu. "Do you like it, or would you pick something else? Is it too obvious we're trying to make it as American as possible? I guess that would defeat the purpose..."

"I mean, my family will get what we're doing, and that's all that matters. It's not like we'll be raising the baby in my neighborhood, which was all Japanese... Stern Build has people of all ethnicities, and most people won't bat an eye at the name choice. Especially since we'll be keeping the baby's name secret like mine..." he said, his voice suddenly getting quiet when he realized people were still glancing over at them. "Right?"

Barnaby bit on his bottom lip. "I mean, we'll try, definitely. If people start asking or the producers start pushing us to share the name, we'll both just have to put our foots down and say no. Just because I chose not to have a secret identity, it doesn't negate our child's need for one. I'm sure they'll try and pull that crap on us. There's a huge difference between me, an adult who can defend himself, and a tiny infant. It'd be out of the question." He was suddenly all smiles when the server brought out his breakfast, which took up two plates. "You never did answer me, though. Do you even like Banabi?" he asked while pouring extra syrup on his already decadent waffles.

"It's cute," Kotetsu answered, his single plate of bacon taking its place opposite Barnaby's big meal. "Sounds even more like a little bunny's name than Barnaby does," he joked, popping one piece of bacon into his mouth. He thought for a second, and then swallowed and said, "Okay, here's the test. Does Banabi Kaburagi sound weird? With them both ending in 'i's like that?"

The younger man blushed. He always seemed to blush when Kotetsu compared him—anything about him—to an actual bunny. He stuffed his own mouth with a big bite of waffle, which took a minute to chew and swallow. "I wasn't even thinking about it until you said something. Even so, I don't think it sounds weird. Banabi Kaburagi. Banabi Kaburagi. -Abi -Agi... No, sounds fine to me." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that... weird in Japanese? For that to be a thing?"

"I mean, not particularly. When all your words end with vowel sounds, it's pretty inevitable that the same vowel sounds are gonna end up close to each other. I dunno about English naming conventions, though, which is why I asked... Kid's gonna be speaking mostly English, after all." Kotetsu had almost no discernible accent, but there was a tiny hint of it on some words, and he mixed some words up when it came to more complicated English. It was strange for him that his kids grew up speaking the language he learned second, but that's what happened when you moved close to a place like Stern Build. "I'll probably want to try teaching the kid Japanese while they're young, though. Did the same with Kaede. Supposedly, it's easier to learn two languages when you're little? I'd believe it, learning English was a bitch."

Barnaby sputtered a laugh behind his hand. He'd not heard someone describe his first language so crudely and bluntly before. "English can be very difficult, yes," he agreed after wiping his mouth on a napkin. "I suppose the number one frustration comes from learning the rules of grammar, but then realizing there are so many exceptions to those rules that the rule more or less becomes obsolete. I've come to the conclusion that some so-called rules of English have no other reasonable foundation other than 'that's just the way it is.'"

"Ugh, I know that pain," Kotetsu agreed, nodding his head. He opened his mouth to say something else, when suddenly, his phone vibrated in his back pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the screen, and then suddenly, it started to vibrate off the hook, the screen lighting up with new notifications every second. "Well. The other heroes saw our interview, I think," Kotetsu said, as he watched the texts pouring in.

"Really? Are they upset?" Barnaby started reaching for his own phone, but then remembered that he forgot it at home this morning. He started forgetting lots of things like that lately. He'd forget to put the milk or juice back in the fridge after pouring himself a glass. He often forgot where he put his car keys, too. "They're all probably saying it was a terrible way to go about it. They all have managers, though. They should know the pressure from managers and producers."

Kotetsu started scrolling through the texts, as well as he could with new ones popping up. "Congratulations. Congratulations! Congratulations... Oh my god, when's the baby shower? You guys are dating?" He smirked on that one. _Oh, Sky High._ "When were you gonna tell me, asshole?!" _Sorry, Antonio_, thought Kotetsu. "Another one?! Congratulations... So is there a baby registry or what? Boy or a girl? Is it a boy or a girl? You didn't say in the interview... Didn't think you still had it in you, Kotetsu." He pouted at that. What was that supposed to mean?!

Barnaby smiled a little. It was just nice to hear such wonderful, positive words from the other heroes. Honestly, he was surprised no one figured it out yet with the way he sported a pot belly around headquarters the past few weeks. "I don't think they meant anything by it, honey," he assured Kotetsu after seeing that sour pout. "Only that it would surprise anyone for a single father of a teenager to jump into having a second child, that's all. This does make me think. We probably should register somewhere."

"Well, it is true that fertility drops off after forty, but still. I just crossed that bridge," Kotetsu grumbled at his phone, looking up from it when Barnaby mentioned registry. "So you wanna have a baby shower?" he asked. Somehow, it didn't seem like an event Barnaby Brooks Jr. would be on board to have. The guy barely liked birthday parties, after all.

Barnaby looked up as well. In the short time between making that suggestion and Kotetsu questioning him about it, he stuffed another two bites of Belgian waffles into his mouth. "Urm..." He chewed quickly, licked his lips free of cinnamon and whipped cream, and then tapped his foot beneath the table. "I guess... Does a registry necessarily mean we _have_ to have a baby shower? I thought it was just a way for our friends to, you know... know what to get us and just... get it?"

"Yes... But when are they going to give you presents to help you with the new baby if you don't have a party for the new baby?" Kotetsu pointed out, smiling, amused. Okay, that sounded more like Barnaby. He could remember the absolute failure that was Barnaby's first birthday as a hero and how hard they had to push to get him to accept his singular present, under the pretense that he didn’t want any sort of party or celebration to happen, period. "I mean, you don't need to do the traditional baby shower thing with the ladies-only or the party games or whatever, but there has to be some kind of celebratory get-together so people can give you the stuff. Y'know?" He then shrugged and added, "I mean, that's how I understand it. I wasn't allowed to go to Kaede's baby shower and baby showers are pretty unheard of in Japanese culture, so my mom didn't have one for me or my brother. People just gave her money gifts after we were born and stayed healthy for a few months."

The blond man pressed his lips together. He definitely didn't want any sort of baby-themed party with games, cake, and only girls around. That sounded like hell on earth. "Couldn't they just... have the items delivered to us, or just come drop off the presents when they have the time?" Barnaby sighed. "Or maybe a registry is just too much hassle. It's not like we don't have enough money to buy what we need on our own."

"The point isn't really the stuff, Bunny," Kotetsu said with a stifled chuckle. Can't teach a stubborn rabbit new tricks, or whatever the saying was supposed to be. "It's spending time with friends and celebrating the baby coming. You don't need to do it if you don't want to, but we can't really just... ask our friends to go buy us stuff with no party-based payoff for them. Besides, it's not like our friends won't get us gifts. You know them, they will anyway. We can take care of the really necessary stuff."

Barnaby's heavy frown turned into an anxious pout. He knew Kotetsu was right. Their friends were going to buy baby gifts and want to give those gifts and share their congratulations in person to the expecting parents. Barnaby especially knew that if Nathan wanted to celebrate this baby, Nathan would sure as hell find a way to do it. He'd probably want to be called Auntie Nathan and dress the baby in hot pink. Barnaby felt the baby stir and instantly scolded it for even entertaining the idea. "I suppose a new baby is a big deal," he finally conceded.

"Kinda," Kotetsu responded, still smiling. "But no one's gonna force you to throw a party if you don't want to, Bunny," he said, reaching across the table and gently patting the back of his boyfriend's hand.

"I just need time to think about it. Maybe if we don't call it a party or a shower." Barnaby ate some of his eggs and drank his chocolate milk before asking, "Can we have a baby luncheon?"

"Sure, if that's what you wanna have," Kotetsu said with a light shrug. "We can put it together whenever you decide you wanna do it... Just gotta make sure it's not too close to the due date. That could get disastrous," he said, waggling a joking finger.

Barnaby seemed overly alarmed by that notion, or something related to it, as his eyes widened slightly. He tried distracting himself by cutting into his waffles and taking another big bite. Again, he really wished he could have a cup of coffee right about now. "I'll think about it."

Kotetsu's finger dropped as he seemed to pick up on Barnaby's disguised alarm. "What, what'd I say?" he asked, bewildered by the distressed look on the blond's face.

"No, just, when you said that..." Barnaby's fingers curled tighter around the fork and knife. "It made me think about the baby being born and how... it's going to happen. You know, physically." He took a deep breath in and out. "I talked to the doctor one of the times I went by myself. He said... it's all there, you know? I could do it. My uh... My tubing, I guess? It's different than a woman's, but for male anatomy, it's all there and it works. Which makes me ask myself how I want to do it: let my body do the work or have the surgery."

"Oh," Kotetsu said, brows raising. This was news to him. "Well, hm... I guess that's up to you, but you're gonna want to go with whatever option the doctor says is safer, right? I mean... considering."

Barnaby frowned. "Considering what?"

"Considering, y'know," Kotetsu said, stumbling over his words a little bit. They'd just had a whole backstage breakdown about this, hadn't they? "Your concerns. About... stuff."

Barnaby frowned even more. What was Kotetsu trying to say? "Are you implying I would hurt the baby if I tried having it myself? My concerns are solely about my jumping between buildings and getting kicked in the side while still contractually bound to hero duty, and if my Hundred Power was putting too much stress on the baby. I don't see how me giving birth comes anywhere close to either of those things. Do you think I can't do it?"

"No! No, that's not..." Kotetsu said, letting out a breath and then leaning closer and dropping his voice's volume so they didn't get into a shouting match in the middle of a diner. "That's not what I meant. I just meant that since you're worried about the baby's health after all that stuff, you're going to go with whichever option the doctor recommends, right? Whether it be the surgery or the natural route. Because you're gonna want to do what's best for the baby and yourself... right?"

The younger man pouted at Kotetsu, clearly annoyed by what he inferred, but as Kotetsu went on to explain himself, Barnaby's expression fell into something more somber and thoughtful. "Of course I'm going to do whichever method the doctor says is safest. I wouldn't stubbornly put our baby's life at risk like that. He says as of right now, I'm on track for a natural birth, but... I know that could change. I know. There's still twenty weeks between now and then. Anything could happen in that time and increase the risk of my pregnancy. I know that..."

Kotetsu nodded his head, reaching his hands across the table a second time, this time to grasp both of Barnaby's. "And I'm gonna be right next to you, no matter which one needs to be done. Whether I'm gonna stand there and fret about surgery stuff or stand there and get screamed at about how much you hate me for doing this to you," he said, putting on a charming smile and raising a hopeful eyebrow. "Okay?"

Barnaby nodded and squeezed Kotetsu's hands. "Okay. Thank you, Kotetsu."


	5. The Baby Brigade

Everything was relatively quiet the next couple of days. Neither of the heroes was swarmed by curious media like they thought they'd be. A late-night villain meant Kotetsu got called away, leaving Barnaby fast asleep in his swanky condo. When he woke up alone, he figured the older man spent the night at headquarters, too tired to drive back home. In the middle of breakfast, there came a knock on the door. Barnaby thought his boyfriend forgot his key; however, it was not Kotetsu there waiting for him. Instead, it was a tidal wave nightmare of catastrophic proportions. Such a catastrophe that it had Barnaby on his phone and shouting at his unsuspecting boyfriend who didn't even get a "hello" in before the blond started up. "You have to come home right now! Now!! They just keep—No, not there, you idiots!—Kotetsu, I can't deal with this! Not even a phone call or a letter! There's so much stu—I told you all to wipe your feet!!"

"Whoa, Bunny, what's going on?" Kotetsu asked, leaning in to the phone screen. He could hear voices behind Barnaby and see people walking behind him, but he couldn't tell what was going on. He could see the upset on Barnaby's face clear as day, though. Meanwhile, Kotetsu's backdrop was clearly not his house or headquarters, but a doctor's office. Though, that wasn't a super uncommon place for Kotetsu to end up.

"They just showed up with all this baby stuff! Every company in Stern Build sent me almost every product they make! Where do they expect me to put all this? And none of the delivery people will take it ba—" Barnaby paused, squinted at his screen, and then blurted, "Oh my god, did you get hurt?!"

"Huh? Oh, I mean, a bit," Kotetsu said, darting his eyes back and forth like there was some way to cover up that he was in a doctor's office. "So, like, free baby stuff, huh? That's crazy!" he said, quickly changing the subject back and laughing awkwardly. "You want me to come over there right now? ‘Cause I can do that. In about twenty minutes, no problem."

"No! Shit! I can't... Shit. You're hurt? How did you get hurt?! I told you this would happen! Why haven't you gone back over to the B-League yet, Kotetsu? We talked about this!"

"Mr. Brooks, where do you want these boxes of vitamin supplements?"

Barnaby pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't care! In the kitchen! I should have you all arrested for trespassing!"

"You... You let us inside."

"That was before I knew you had a Trojan Horse of baby products!" Green eyes glared into the screen. "Kotetsu, I swear to god. I have a headache and hot flashes this morning. I don't need this. Please just... How bad are your injuries?"

"Um. I sprained my wrist," Kotetsu answered, finally lifting his arm in a cast and sling into view of his com unit's camera. "Not a big deal. The guy we chased tried to break my arm and screwed it up. I can come right over, okay?" he said, jostling the screen as he stood up from the doctor's table he'd been sitting on, and then lifting his unharmed arm back up so he was looking into the camera again. "I'm downtown, so... I'll get there as soon as I can?"

A _sprain_? Doctors didn't put arms in casts for _sprains_. Barnaby felt the headache moving down into his shoulders and back. He simply groaned. "Fine, just... Get here when you can. Hey, I didn't give you permission to put things in my bedroom!" he shouted before the screen shut off. When Kotetsu finally arrived, the delivery crew was gone, but they left behind a hefty stash of goods. Just like Barnaby described, every boutique and manufacturer in town sent a collection of their complete line of products for newborns. It'd been all Barnaby could do to make sure the crew kept things relatively organized. The living room was packed with cribs, strollers, changing tables, and rocking chairs. Inside the cribs were stuffed animals, nursing blankets, nursing pillows, body pillows, wedge pillows, teething rings, bottles, pacifiers, and baby clothes. The kitchen counters were equally crowded with bottles of pre-natal vitamins and wicker baskets overflowing with body care products. Not to mention all the brochures for Lamaze classes, pregnant yoga, nursing courses, parenting courses, and even prestigious daycares. In his hand, Barnaby held a pile of letters from all the companies basically asking him to do the same thing: test their products and then endorse his favorites. "Why did anyone think I'd want all this?"

Kotetsu gawked in the doorway for a moment, before awkwardly shuffling his way through the mountain of stuff towards the center of the living room. "Man, Bunny, sometimes I underestimate how popular you are," he said, catching sight of a price tag still left on a crib and eyes going wide at the numbers printed on it. Whoa. "I remember getting endorsement deals, but it was never like this," he said, sweeping out his free arm to gesture at all the stuff piled about. "I mean, look on the bright side? We can donate most of it and we're set on anything we decide to keep."

"I just. I just wanted a quiet morning. I just wanted my tea and oatmeal and to wait for you." Barnaby sniffled. It was coming: the mood swing. "And then they show up with all this stuff. I told them I didn't want it, but they came in anyway. N-Now my apartment is a mess. It's s-so cluttered." There it was. His eyes brimmed with tears as he looked over at his boyfriend. "And now you're hurt b-because I wasn't there to help you. Your arm's in a c-cast."

_Uh-oh._ Kotetsu knew what was coming as soon as he heard Barnaby's voice falter. "Hey, hey, no!" he said, nearly tripping over a folded-up stroller as he made his way over to Barnaby's side, smiling and holding his bandaged-up arm in demonstration. "Look, see, it's not that serious. Doc says it'll be off in a week, less if I have a day where I don't need my Hundred Power and can heal up instead before bed. And don't worry about the stuff, Bunny, we'll find some charity to give most of it away to and your apartment will be back the way it was before you know it."

Green eyes looked at the cast and tears dripped down his face anyway. "H-How am I supposed to pick from all these? I can't think straight with this much clutter. Having such an empty living space means my mind can stay clear." Barnaby's bottom lip quibbled. "Honey, your arm. I'm so sorry I wasn't there. If I'd been there to protect you..." He hiccuped and then he was officially crying. "This wasn't how I thought I'd spend my day."

"We'll make the choice easy, Bunny, don't worry. Get rid of anything that conflicts with our sponsors, then look up the one with the best reviews on the internet. Easy peasy, and I'll take care of it, okay? C'mon," he said, taking a step closer and actually hushing his boyfriend gently, lifting his good hand up to Barnaby's face to wipe tears away with his thumb. "And don't worry about me; you couldn't have been there, so no use crying over spilled milk, okay? I'll be fine. Let's..." He looked around at the apartment, frowning at the clutter. Okay, Barnaby wasn't going to relax here. "Let's go to my place and get you that relaxation you need. And I'll arrange to have most of this stuff out of here for you."

Barnaby nodded. He stood there for a few minutes just letting Kotetsu hush him. Before leaving, he had to change out of his pajamas, which he only now realized were casually small and showed off the lower part of his stomach. Great, the delivery guys got a good view of that, then. Barnaby stuck to lounge pants today—although still designer—and a maternity fit muscle shirt. He also threw on his most comfortable sneakers. Riding in the car with a driver who only had one arm wasn't entirely inspiring, but Kotetsu got them there in one piece. The blond fetched one of his precious vanilla and Shea-scented aroma therapy candles from a cabinet he claimed for himself in his boyfriend's apartment. He lit that sucker, sat back on the couch, and let out an entirely too heavy sigh.

Kotetsu came and draped himself over the back of the couch, massaging one of Barnaby's shoulders with his available hand. "Let me take the letters they gave you so I can see which brands to strike off the list, m’kay? And how about I make you something? Fried rice on doughnuts? Or maybe, uh... Like a cake with some kinda something else on top?"

"Doughnuts and fried rice sound really good," Barnaby replied. He still didn't understand how he developed a craving for fried rice of all things, especially since he never had it before. Was it because the baby was Japanese? Wait... Was that racist? Ugh. Maybe because it was Kotetsu's baby and fried rice was Kotetsu's favorite dish. So now it was obvious which parent the baby would take after the most. Rather than go any further down that rabbit hole, Barnaby dug through his tote bag and produced the letters. "Have fun, honey."

"Will do," Kotetsu said, leaning over and kissing Barnaby's temple before he stood up and headed into the kitchen. The letters got spread out on the counter for Kotetsu to peruse while the rice was cooking. From the pantry, he produced a box of Boston Cream doughnuts he bought for Barnaby a day before. Kotetsu also put on the creamsicle white and orange apron with a cute Lisa Frank-esque tiger on the front that Barnaby threw at him one day, after a fiasco where Kotetsu decided to cook with his shirt off and got hot grease on his then still-fragile torso burn scar. And his shirt came off under it, of course—because it was a nice, crisp button-up and he wasn't going to get grease on it. He prepared the rice using the "perfect" recipe that Barnaby wrote down on a note card in his determined handwriting and stuck to the fridge. He next pressed into the doughnuts with a ladle to indent them in the middle a little, and then spooned the rice onto the tops of all two dozen doughnuts. And finally, Kotetsu emerged with a stack of letters pinched between two fingers on his bandaged hand, and a plate containing the doughnuts grasped in the other.

"Well, we can send the products from these guys away. They're from those big box stores that sell our sponsors' competitor's products on top of the baby stuff. All that's left are the people who produce baby stuff, like, only, y'know?" Kotetsu asked, as he put the plate on the coffee table for Barnaby and then brandished the letters in a fan, before noticing that he hadn't offered his boyfriend a drink. "Oh. Milk, tea? Milkshake?" The day Barnaby asked for a milkshake for the first time had been an amazingly shocking one, and Kotetsu was always willing to try and recreate the lightning in a bottle that were Barnaby's sweets cravings. They were kinda cute, at the end of the day.

Milkshake was the magic word and Barnaby nodded with a little smile. His cravings still embarrassed him sometimes, but Kotetsu never seemed bothered by them. In fact, the older man did everything he could to make sure Barnaby got exactly what he wanted. He eyed the doughnuts hungrily, but he focused his attention on the reject letters first. Flipping through them was a relief since at least a third of the products were instantly cut out. "You're a life saver," he said to his boyfriend, leaning forward and kissing Kotetsu on the lips. Two-thirds still felt daunting, but he knew Kotetsu would help him sort it all out. While waiting for the milkshake, Barnaby went ahead and picked up one of the doughnuts. If Kotetsu wanted him to wait... oh well! He took that first bite. The creamy sweet of the icing and filling collided with the salt of the soy and natural herbs to create a unique and oh so delicious taste in his mouth. Barnaby hummed happily, licking his lips, and then taking another bite. "Honey, these are amazing!"

Kotetsu emerged with a milkshake made from the ice cream that was left in the freezer after, apparently, most of it was wiped out by a certain someone to make some kind of craving satisfy-er. So it was a mix of the bottom of the cartons of a bunch of flavors with whipped cream on top, and Kotetsu hoped it tasted alright. Kotetsu came over and slid the milkshake into place next to the plate, and then dropped down onto the couch next to his boyfriend. "I wish I could take credit, but that's your rice recipe and the bakery's doughnuts, so..." he answered with a quiet chuckle.

"Maybe, but you picked out just the right doughnuts and you cooked the rice just how I like it. Those account for something." Barnaby finished off the first one and picked up the milkshake. He sucked on the straw, smiling yet again when all the flavors came together just right. The blond sat there happily drinking his milkshake and eating doughnuts until the straw made a loud slurping sound at the bottom of the glass. He'd only eaten half the rice Boston Creams, and while he felt full, his cravings still weren't satisfied. Barnaby held his belly and tried leaning forward, but he was too stuffed to reach anymore. "Kotetsuuuuu..."

"Hm?" Kotetsu hummed, opening his eyes. He'd turned himself sideways on the couch, resting his head on Barnaby's knees and letting his legs dangle over the arm of the couch. He wasn't expecting to open his eyes to a sad-looking Barnaby with cream and rice bits at the corner of his mouth. "What's wrong?"

"I can't reach," he whined cutely. "They're too far awaaay." Barnaby wiggled his fingers towards the remaining dozen doughnuts for emphasis. He tried leaning forward even more, resulting in his belly bumping against the side of Kotetsu's head. It gurgled quietly, mostly digesting, yet some might have been in protest.

Kotetsu forcibly kept himself from raising his eyebrows at his boyfriend. He always did these in batches of two dozen, but Barnaby usually spread them out throughout the whole day, nibbling on one every couple of hours. Was he really trying to put them all away as his breakfast? Well, Kotetsu wasn't dumb enough to get between a pregnant person and their cravings, let that be said. He rolled over and grabbed the plate, coming back onto his back and then balancing the plate on his chest, easily accessible to his boyfriend's straining fingers. "Better?" he asked, leaning his head in towards the stomach bumping against his ear and listening to the angry sounds from inside. He bit the inside of his cheek in lieu of smirking.

Barnaby smiled joyfully. "Much better, thanks." One hand picked up a doughnut while the other scratched gently at the top of Kotetsu's head. Lost among the angry gurgles was the faint thumping sound of the baby's heartbeat. The little tyke wasn't quite strong enough to kick yet, but it rolled over plenty. Barnaby only made it through four more of his special treats before he just couldn't take another bite. He felt the skin pinching at his already swollen belly, all a rosy glow beneath his shirt. "Best mistake I ever made," Barnaby groaned. "Worth it."

Kotetsu let himself smile when Barnaby started scratching his head, readjusting himself so his injured arm was resting comfortably across his torso and his head leaned in to the blond's belly, listening to the baby's heartbeat. Now this was nice. This was something he could get used to. He opened one eye when Barnaby spoke, still grinning blissfully. "Glad you enjoyed. Feeling better?"

"I am feeling better," Barnaby replied and then lifted one finger, "but let me also amend that I don't approve of stress eating because it's never the answer. Cravings played a big part in that, sure, but between you and me... I was kind of eating my frustration with those doughnuts." He licked his lips, catching any stray traces of icing or rice. "It's a terrible habit that I can't let myself fall into, no matter how delicious the treats are that you make for me." Barnaby continued scratching Kotetsu's hair and looked down at him, only to suddenly break out in a blush when he saw the man smiling at him like that. "Wh-What?"

Kotetsu chuckled again, squinting his eyes with comfortable mirth, tanned skin crinkling at the edges, shrugging his shoulders up around his ears. "Nothing, I just love you," he said, voice quiet.

The blush darkened and Barnaby rolled his eyes upward out of shyness, but then he looked down again after a few seconds. "I love you, too." When the blond said he wanted a quiet morning, this is exactly what he had in mind. He and Kotetsu hadn't had much of this so far with hero work getting in the way. Now, with Barnaby on maternity leave and Kotetsu moving to B-League, hopefully they could have more moments like this. Quiet and relaxed was exactly what Barnaby needed if this pregnancy was going to remain non-high risk. In that spirit... "We should visit your mother and Kaede."

Kotetsu took a moment to think about that. He was notoriously bad at taking time off—it always seemed like he got called for something the day he was meaning to go and start a visit with his family. But... there was a new baby on the way and it would be awful for his family to not get to be a part of that. So... "Yeah, I mean, that sounds like a good idea to me," Kotetsu said, stroking his beard. "When should we go?"

"Why not tomorrow?" the blond suggested. "Your sprain put you out of hero commission anyway. I know Kaede has school all week, but it'll be nice just having the quiet of the house mostly to ourselves. We can talk to her about the apartment, too; about her own room with us in the city. I think the peace and fresh air will do us both some good."

Kotetsu looked at his arm. Well, Barnaby had a good point there, no doubt about it. "Let me call my mom and make sure it's okay for us to come out so short notice, then," he said, making a motion over at his phone sitting on the coffee table. "But if she says yes when I call, sure, let's head out there."

Barnaby nodded and helped nudge Kotetsu up enough that he could reach the phone. Luckily, Anju was more than willing to have the pair come for a stay. Neither Anju nor Kaede had actually seen the couple since the announcement on the phone a couple months ago. Kaede made a point of calling Barnaby frequently for updates, but it would be nice seeing everyone in person. Just the train ride alone put Barnaby more at ease. As the tall buildings and paved streets turned into rolling hills and dirt roads, he felt a load of stress fall off his shoulders.

"Papa! Barnaby!" called Kaede from the platform and waved at them. Kotetsu's brother was there also to give them a lift to the house. Kaede ran up to her dad first, giving him a tight hug, and then turned to Barnaby. "Is she kicking yet? Can I feel?"

Barnaby chuckled. "Not yet, but any day now. We don't know yet if it's a girl, Kaede."

"Well yeah, but I doubt my sister is gonna disappoint me by coming out a boy."

Kotetsu hugged his daughter back just as tightly and then laughed when she started talking to Barnaby about the baby that she already declared a sister. "Well, we'll keep our fingers crossed for you, sweetheart," he said, before looking over at Muramasa. "Hey, bro, how're you?" he asked, approaching his brother with a grin and an outstretched hand, since Muramasa didn't really... do hugs.

"Doing well, thanks. I see you got yourself into some trouble," Muramasa commented, shaking his baby brother's good hand but staring at the busted one. Muramasa was happier than anyone when Kotetsu retired. He had more conversations than he could count with his brother about hanging up the suit and coming home. Muramasa even offered him a job at the liquor store just to keep busy. Kotetsu wasn't a spring chicken anymore, he'd practically lost his NEXT power, and Kaede was at an age when she needed a parent in her life. ...But then Kotetsu came out of retirement, went back to the big flashy city, knocked up his hero partner, and then flaunted it on television. Muramasa's patience was wearing thin. "You're lucky it wasn't worse. Hate to think you wouldn't even be able to hold your own baby for the first time."

"Hey, c'mon, that's harsh," Kotetsu said, looking a little taken aback at first, and then just pouting, even as he looked guiltily down at his arm. He knew Muramasa was right, but he always had such a blunt way of _being_ right. "I'm here now, aren't I? And this'll heal in a few days with my Hundred Power to help it along."

Even with Kaede talking off his ear, Barnaby noticed the bully-brother exchange that severely deflated Kotetsu's mood. "Is there a problem?" he asked, coming beside his boyfriend and wrapping an arm around his waist.

"No problems here," answered Muramasa. "Just a little reality check, that's all. Let me help you with your bags." He pulled out the handle on Barnaby's rolling suitcase and shouldered the matching duffel. Then, he turned and walked through the station towards the exit.

Kaede frowned, coming to stand on the other side of her father. "Uncle Muramasa has been such a grump ever since you went back to being a hero, Papa. I don't get why he can't just be proud of you like grandma and I are."

"Well, he's got good points," Kotetsu admitted, letting his head droop to one side. "He's just such a buzzkill about it," he murmured, only to roll his shoulders back, perk his expression back up, and smile at Barnaby appreciatively, and then down at his daughter as he started to follow after his brother towards the exit. "So, sweetie, how're things going with you?"

"Everything's fine with me. We're studying earth and space science this year, which is pretty cool. I'm liking geography, too. We just turned in our second essays in literature, and my teacher says I have strong organization skills and word choice. They started introducing us to algebra, though, and I'm having a hard time with it. My friends and I study together after school, so that's helpful. Luckily, I'm still doing well enough that grandma let me stay with ice skating. My coach says I might even make it to regionals this year."

Barnaby beamed at all the news. Kaede really was an amazing girl. "That all sounds wonderful, Kaede. I'm very impressed."

The girl blushed and smiled down at her pink sneakers. "Thanks."

"I'm so proud of you, honey," Kotetsu said, absolutely overflowing with it. It had become pretty clear to all the heroes, after they got to know Kaede, that Kotetsu was one of those parents who totally adored their kid, sometimes to a fault. But he honestly couldn't help it. Every time he talked to his daughter, he felt this overwhelming pride warm up his chest and he couldn't help smiling. "Do you have ice skating practice while we're here? I'd love to come and see how you've improved."

Kaede nodded. "Mhm! I go on Wednesdays and Fridays after school, and then I go again Sunday mornings."

"Today is Tuesday, so we can come watch you tomorrow evening," Barnaby offered with a smile. He wondered if Kotetsu had any skills on a pair of skates. He would have liked to go skating with his boyfriend, if not for being pregnant. Anything that put his balance at risk was a big no-no. "It must be a nice break from the summer heat, too."

"Yeah, I like being on the ice when it's hot out. All my friends like swimming. I mean, I like swimming too, but it's not as freeing."

This whole conversation was bringing back a memory to Kotetsu—the one where Blue Rose found out about Kaede being a figure skater, had gotten all excited about it, and then slapped Kotetsu across the face when he admitted he hadn't seen her skate in a while. Memories punctuated by pain like those ones didn't die easy. "Well, I'm excited to come see you skate. Tomorrow sounds like a plan," Kotetsu said, nodding his head, contented. Normally there'd be the tense, unasked question hanging in the air of when Kotetsu might be called back to Stern Build. Whether or not he'd actually get to do the things he promised he'd do. But with a cast on his arm, he was off the hook for their entire little vacation.

The family piled into Muramasa's van and rode back to the house, Kaede chatting about her own plans for the baby the whole way. Muramasa only stayed long enough to help get their luggage inside, but then he had to return to his liquor store. Barnaby smiled at the sight of the traditional Japanese house with its tiled roof, wrap-around roka, and sliding shoji. He couldn't wait to see the garden out back. "Grandma and I moved the partitions so your room has more space for both of you."

"Fusuma, right?" Barnaby asked.

Kaede smiled widely. "Yeah, that's right! Fusuma are the inside doors and shoji are the outside doors. Papa, have you been teaching him?"

"Maybe a bit," Kotetsu said, laughing and scratching at the back of his head. 'Maybe' was the operative word, because he threw Japanese words around a lot, but he was pretty sure Barnaby probably did his own research to learn that term. That was the kind of person he was, after all. They took their shoes off at the entrance, Kaede and Kotetsu putting on the house slippers waiting for them in the foyer, and Kotetsu pulling out a pair from their luggage for Barnaby that they bought before they came—ones with special soles that would give his feet a bit more support. They got swollen and achy just from him standing up for a while, and the whole house had wooden or tatami floors, so they were a needed purchase. Then he wandered into the house to try and find his mom so they could say hello to her, too. "Mom! Mom? Probably in the garden." He stepped out onto the porch in back, and as expected, found his mom tending to the vegetables. "Hey, mom."

"Kotetsu!" she gasped, looking over her shoulder and smiling at him as he came down from the porch to meet her. "You got in a little early. Is Barnaby here too?"

"Yeah ma, he's inside."

"Well, let's go say hello, then."

"Are you sure she doesn't kick yet?" asked Kaede as she stooped over and pressed her ear to Barnaby's belly.

The blond man laughed. "I think I'd know, Kaede. Don't worry; I'll let you know when she _or he_ starts kicking. Just give it a couple more days." He looked up when he heard footsteps and tapped Kaede on the shoulder so she would move aside. "Anju, it's so good to see you," Barnaby said, bending over as best he could so as to give the older woman a hug. "Your home looks beautiful as always."

"Thank you, Barnaby," Anju answered, smiling and wrapping her arms around Barnaby's shoulders, patting his back kindly. "It's always a pleasure to see you. Come inside, I'll put some tea on and we can catch up. Kotetsu will take care of the luggage, right son?"

"'Course I will, ma," Kotetsu said, edging past them and hiking his and Barnaby's bags up onto his shoulders, and grabbing the rolling bags by their handles.

Barnaby tried taking his own bag so Kotetsu didn't have so much to carry, but Anju just sort of shooed him away from the luggage and towards the sitting area instead. He was especially grateful the house wasn't so traditional that the floor was the only place to sit. He lowered himself onto the sofa, Kaede taking a seat next to him, and sighed. "It's so quiet out here in the country; I love it. Things were getting too hectic back in the city. I was at my wits end."

"I can only imagine," Anju said, coming into the living room from the kitchen after starting the hot water. "Kotetsu tells me about it, but I could never live in the city myself. Even back before I had the boys, city life was just too fast-paced for me," she mused, as she sat herself down in a cushioned rocking chair across from them, smiling warmly. "Well, you two know you're always welcome to come visit."

Barnaby smiled wistfully. "Sometimes, I regret not coming out here more often when we were retired. Kotetsu had a lot of healing and coping to do, and I thought it best to give him space. I was so sure family was better company for him than me. I thought I would remind him too much of being a hero, even though I'd retired as well." He couldn't help a puff of laughter when Kaede put her hand on his stomach, insisting yet again for the baby to kick. "Having grown up in the city, I sometimes think I could never leave it, but when I come out here... I miss the city a little less each time."

Anju raised her eyebrows, looking interested by that. "Have you given any thought to where you two will raise the baby?" She knew it was improbable, but she always harbored a tiny hope that Kotetsu would go back into retirement. She saw her son often enough, but Kaede would only benefit from living close to her father, and Kotetsu's powers were dwindled to the point that she worried every time they watched him on Hero TV. She wondered if maybe, just maybe, Barnaby would be the person to get her son out of the city and settled down somewhere quieter and safer—but, Barnaby had a thriving hero career, too. It seemed unlikely.

Green eyes blinked. "Oh, well... Actually, we wanted to discuss that in relation to Kaede."

The girl looked up at him, surprise coloring her expression. "Me? What about me?"

Barnaby just pat her on the head before calling, "Kotetsu, I think now is a good time to talk about the apartment! Will you come join us?"

"Just a sec!" Kotetsu called back, halfway through disentangling himself from a couple of shoulder straps.

Anju looked confused as her son came into the room, brushing himself off like he wasn't just fighting with a couple of strips of cloth and leaning casually against the back of the couch. "What's this about your apartment?" Anju asked, touching her face and looking a little concerned.

"Nothing, nothing," Barnaby insisted hastily. "Just that mine isn't exactly family-friendly and Kotetsu's isn't safe for me the further my pregnancy progresses. We talked about it, and we think moving into a new space is best. We can find a place closer to headquarters, with enough rooms, has that cozy vibe for a family, and is a blank slate so we can marry our styles appropriately."

Kaede looked between the two men. "That makes sense, but what does that have to do with me?"

Anju's expression reflected understanding, and a little bit of disappointment. Sure, she was glad to hear they'd be getting a space appropriate for the baby, but clearly, they were staying in the city. She wasn't really surprised, though. Kotetsu would keep up with his hero dream until he just physically couldn't do it anymore. "Well, sweetheart," Kotetsu said, looking down at Kaede. "We don't want to randomly drag you into the city or anything, but... I thought you might like having the option of having a room at the new place. A bedroom just like you have here that you can decorate how you want and keep your stuff in. You don't have to use it much or anything, but... We thought you might like to have it. Yeah."

Eloquently spoken as always by the man called Wild Tiger. Barnaby couldn't help a silent sigh in his own head before turning towards the girl. "You see, Kaede, your dad and I don't want you feeling left out of the family. The last thing we want is for you to feel like the new baby is going to take your place or take our time away from you." Although, Kaede hardly seemed threatened with the way she fawned excitedly over Barnaby's belly. "We don't want you feeling isolated out here while the baby lives in the city with us. You're more than welcome to stay here with your grandmother and friends, but you'll always be welcome at home with us, too."

Kaede actually looked relieved by the offer. Maybe she'd been _a little_ worried. "Well, now that you mention it... I was gonna wait till the end of the semester to ask grandma, but I guess now works too. Having a place in the city would be awesome actually, because when I turn 16 and finish out the school year, I... kinda wanna go to the Hero Academy?"

"Hero Academy?" Anju asked, shocked.

Brown eyes went wide and Kotetsu seemed to nearly jump when he heard that. "Hero Academy!" Kotetsu gasped, overjoyed. "I had no idea you were interested in becoming a hero, honey!" he gushed, suddenly coming over to his daughter's side of the couch and crouching down to lean against the back of the seat at her sitting level. "When'd you decide on this?!"

"I guess I've been thinking about it ever since you came out of retirement." Kaede couldn't help smiling at her father's enthusiasm. "Even though your powers are almost gone, you're still out there trying to make a difference. You help so many people and I think that's really cool. I want to help people, too. And... And mom always thought it was special that you were a hero. At least, I know that now. She's the reason you kept on as Wild Tiger even after I was born, right? She'd probably be proud of me, too."

Kotetsu's extreme enthusiasm softened into something much more subdued. "I know she'd be proud of you," he said, nodding his head and reaching a large hand out, ruffling his daughter's dark brown hair.

"I never would have guessed you were thinking about this, Kaede," Anju said, her hand still lightly touching her cheek. "Though, I guess it doesn't surprise me. You are so much like your father was at this age, after all... It's a big choice, but..." She paused, glancing to the side and then looking back to her granddaughter. "Well, it's still four years off. And wanting to attend the academy is the responsible way to go about this hero business," she added, looking critically at her son, who in turn looked up at the ceiling innocently.

Kaede giggled, but then she beamed. "I've even been thinking about my hero name! I wanna either be Wild Tigress or Spectrum."

Barnaby was intrigued by the second title. "Why Spectrum?"

"Well, cause I'm capable of using a full spectrum of powers. At first, all I could come up with was Blank Slate, but that's dumb and boring. Then I thought about going the absorption route or like... a chameleon, but I didn't like those, either. My suit can be kinda iridescent, y'know?" She started talking faster, getting excited and using her hands. "So it'll change colors in different lights from different angles. I don't want it as _revealing_ as Blue Rose's, but I love how tall her boots are. I figure I can wear arm gloves, but leave my hands open so I can touch the other heroes. Oh! And I want an old school mask like yours, Papa."

Kotetsu didn't have the heart to mention that a lot of the heroes didn't come up with their own names or costumes, but whatever. Let the kid dream, maybe she'd get a good deal with a lot of control. "A mask is always a good idea," Kotetsu said, resting his head in his hand and elbow on the back of the couch as he grinned at his daughter. "Very smart move, darling. And man, your power will be so handy! You'll definitely impress everyone at the academy with what you can do. Not a lot of the kids there have such cool powers, y'know." Meanwhile, Anju smiled and stood up to head into the kitchen and pour out their tea. She'd have to have a talk with Kaede about the Hero Academy later, but for now, she let her son and granddaughter have their moment.

Barnaby smiled as Kotetsu and Kaede continued back and forth excitedly. Seemed as though Kotetsu should have shared his hero identity with his daughter sooner since it seemed to be the thing bringing them closer together. He watched Anju shuffle silently from the room, though, and his smile faded. "Kaede... I'm just as excited as your dad is about you wanting to attend Hero Academy, but just remember there are people in your life who want you to always be safe. Being a hero is dangerous work. I know you're more than capable of handling it, but... if your grandmother wants you to wait a bit longer, I think it's important to respect her feelings, all right? Even if she doesn't say anything, she worries sick about your dad every time he fights NEXT villains. Let's not make her worry about the both of you at the same time."

Kotetsu and Kaede paused in their energetic back-and-forth to look at Barnaby when he spoke, and Kotetsu immediately looked a little embarrassed. Barnaby was right, of course, and it was the responsible parenting thing to do to bring that up first. "Well, you've got plenty of time before you graduate your current school, and then there's the training at the academy. Who even knows what your old man's gonna be up to at that point," Kotetsu said, shrugging his shoulders and reaching over to ruffle Kaede's hair. "You'd be sure to get as much training as possible before signing on to a hero company, right sweetie?"

Kaede followed Barnaby's gaze into the kitchen and then looked back at the pair of men. "I know you're right, Barnaby. Grandma worked hard to raise me and I don't wanna do anything that will upset her too much. Even if she doesn't want me going until I'm 18, I don't mind waiting." She closed her eyes as her dad ruffled her hair and then peered up at him again. "Well yeah, I would. I've seen how dangerous it is on television. I wouldn't want to go into a fight unprepared."

Barnaby nodded and smiled. "That's some smart thinking, Kaede."

"Do you guys like your company, though? I was thinking I could sign with them as like... a legacy thing."

Barnaby fell silent at that question and touched his belly. "Well, normally they're great, but lately..."

"I don't know why they've been so difficult about all of this," Kotetsu said softly, frowning gently and reaching over to touch Barnaby's shoulder. Then he looked at Kaede. "Our company is... Well, they weren't nice to me at first," he admitted, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling and then looking back at his daughter. "But usually, they're very nice and very understanding. And as far as media attention goes, they take good care of their heroes, A-League and B-League. But they also believe very heavily in sticking to contracts and policies, so if there's anything at all you want to be able to control as a hero, you need to get it in writing, upfront." Who would've thought he'd end up talking to his twelve-year-old about legal binding contracts today? "I can't speak for most of the other companies, but I know that Blue Rose's company is all about pushing her for brand deals, and Rock Bison's company cuts its underperforming heroes. And then you've got Fire Emblem, who runs his own company and doesn't answer to anyone... So, they're all very different, is what I'm saying." He put a hand to his chin and then said, "If Mr. Lloyds would let you, you should probably come and watch what a work day is like with me sometime. Make sure you like the atmosphere and the people. Once you're enrolled in the hero academy, I'm sure that'd be a lot easier to arrange..."

Kaede was all ears as her father explained about the different companies. She didn't necessarily always want to be performing like Blue Rose, and Rock Bison's company sounded like it put too much pressure on their heroes. She felt sympathetic towards Barnaby, even though she didn't really know the story of how they treated the blond hero's pregnancy so far. Kaede simply recognized his distress, and since she liked him so much, she instantly felt bad for him. "Going in to shadow you would be a great experience, Papa," she finally agreed with a nod. The sound of shuffling slippers caught her ear. "Oh, grandma, let me help." Kaede got up and took the tray from the elderly woman, going around and handing everyone their tea.


	6. Papa Tiger

Kotetsu couldn't help smiling when Kaede instantly got up off the couch before he could even open his mouth to ask his mom if she needed help. When all was said and done, she turned out all right. He came around and sat on one end of the couch so Kaede could sit between him and Barnaby, and accepted a mug when his daughter brought the tray around. Anju took a mug as well with a sweet smile and carefully sat back down in her rocking chair. "I'll be honest, you two," Anju said, bringing the attention back to Barnaby and Kotetsu, "I never expected to be a grandmother again, but this is all very exciting nevertheless. Have you found out if you're having a boy or girl yet?"

"I hope it's a girl," chirped Kaede.

Barnaby smirked. "We haven't found out yet, no."

"I bet it's gonna be a girl."

"The doctor offered to tell me a few times, but Kotetsu was unable to be there. I want us both to be there for it."

"She's gonna be a girl."

The blond man chuckled. "Kaede..."

"And if it's a boy?" Kotetsu asked, laughing and spreading his arms out across the back of the couch. Anju put a hand in front of her mouth, smiling behind it. She wouldn't mention this for the sake of Muramasa's pride, but he acted exactly the same way when Kotetsu was coming. Well, he was less hoping for a baby brother and more just stoically sure of himself that he was getting a brother, deadpandedly insisting that the baby was a boy anytime anyone asked Anju about it.

Kaede stuck her tongue out and wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, Papa, don't even joke. Little brothers are so gross. They get all sticky and he'll wanna touch all my stuff with his sticky little hands. Little brothers just run around shouting and banging things and getting all muddy. Okay? I can't dress up a little brother like a princess and take him to the mall with me."

Barnaby actually looked offended by her assumptions. "I'll have you know that I was very clean, quiet child."

"Well, that's 'cause you were a rich kid and rich kids are just cleaner and like, born with manners or whatever."

He raised a single eyebrow. "'Or whatever,' hm?"

Now Anju couldn't help laughing. "Kaede, I hope you realize that all babies are like that."

"Though I'll stand by the fact that I ran around, shouted, and banged things as a kid more than I think girls typically did," Kotetsu chimed in. Then he looked over at Barnaby and added, "Girl or boy, we'll be lucky if they take after you. Clean and quiet sounds nice, huh?"

"I'm just hoping for a baby that doesn't get fussy for no reason," Barnaby agreed. As much as Kotetsu insisted he wasn't an old man yet, which he really wasn't, Barnaby still couldn't help thinking a quieter baby would be better for someone his age. "And..." the grin appeared again on his face, "if the baby _is_ a girl, we'll name her Anju. If the baby is a boy, we're naming him Banabi."

Kaede's face lit up. "Oh my gosh, those are such cute names! Grandma, don't you want it to be a girl now, too? She'll get your name!"

"Oh my," Anju said, cheeks turning pink. "Well, I'm flattered, you two," she said, bowing her head and smiling into her cup of tea. "I suppose we'll just need to wait and see which it is, then."

Barnaby slowly sipped his tea while chatting with everyone until he nodded off right there on the couch. A gentle shaking of his shoulder from Kotetsu woke him up in time for dinner, though he was embarrassed for falling asleep in the first place. Kotetsu must have blabbed to his mother about Barnaby's fried rice cravings, because he got twice the serving size as everyone else along with a bowl of nikujaga. Visiting Kotetsu's mother was always a unique cuisine experience since she only cooked traditional Japanese dishes.

After dinner, Barnaby was given first use of the bath as the guest and then Kotetsu since he was the eldest man of the house. It was a warm summer night, just between June and July, so Barnaby opened the sliding door that exposed their bedroom to the back garden. The moon was waxing and fireflies were in abundance. He kept his sleep shirt off for now, opting to just sit in a pair of shorts there at the threshold of the outer door. He leaned back on his hands while letting his stomach occupy his lap. Green eyes glanced over when he heard the inner door slide open and closed again, and he smiled at his boyfriend. "Thanks for bringing me out here."

"It was a good idea," Kotetsu said, coming to sit next to Barnaby. He was dressed in a men's yukata, tied loosely at the waist, dark blue and patterned with scroll-styled gold kanji. His sling was abandoned for now, but the cast was still there and he cradled his wrist in his free hand after he sat down on the tatami next to the blond. "A little bit of peace and quiet will be nice for both of us."

That green gaze swept Kotetsu up and down before he commented, "You always look really good in Japanese clothing, honey." Barnaby tried wearing a men's kimono once for a festival, but he felt terribly out of place. Not even the fetching, solid red color helped him feel better about it. And then Kotetsu had to go and offer him a red haori with white bunnies all over it. That landed him a good punch in the arm. "I mean, I guess you _would_ look good in clothes from your own culture, but... I just love seeing you wear traditional garments."

Kotetsu smiled at that, looking down at the yukata and smoothing out some of the wrinkles. "You like it on me, huh? This one was my dad's, actually," he murmured, brown eyes looking fondly down at the outfit. "I've always been partial to a vest and slacks for everyday wear, but... Well, you can't beat an outfit made for the express purpose of looking good right after a bath," he joked, shrugging a shoulder and letting the dark blue fabric slide away partially across his chest.

Barnaby chuckled. “You mean a bathrobe? I have two of those back home; one in red and one in white.” He glanced at Kotetsu’s exposed chest, blushing for a moment, but then the blast scar caught his attention and Barnaby looked away. “I really am grateful you brought me out here, Kotetsu. I’ve been struggling putting things in perspective lately. I feel like there’s so much to talk about, but never the time. Either that, or deciding if what I want to talk about is even worth discussing. Ever since we found out about the baby, my thoughts have been like a whirlwind.”

Kotetsu looked intrigued by that statement, glancing over at Barnaby, who was still looking away. "Is there something you want to talk about now?" he asked curiously, leaning in towards Barnaby a bit, and reaching his hand out to rest it on top of the blond's hand.

Barnaby looked down at their hands and then out at the fireflies. "Most of it is superficial, honestly. I worry about my physique... or lack thereof nowadays. I feel sort of... inadequate, I guess, when I see you still in such great shape and then I'm getting all soft. Literally. I miss being a hero, too. I like being in the action and helping people, you know? I watch the others on Hero TV and I feel like I'm missing out. I worked hard to earn back the title King of Heroes after coming out of retirement, and now I have to watch it go back to Sky High. I... I like the attention, Kotetsu. I like the attention, admiration, and earning points. Maybe it's kinda selfish, but I like feeling loved by people. I know being King of Heroes isn't the important part of what we do. I always forget you were King of Heroes once and you never seem to miss it." Barnaby sighed. "And then I start wondering if going back to hero work at all is even a good idea..."

Kotetsu rubbed his thumb against Barnaby's knuckles, listening intently to everything the other man had to say. "Well... There's nothing wrong with liking the attention," Kotetsu started, slowly, clearly forming his thoughts as he spoke. "I mean, I'm in the hero business to help people, but I still get all giddy when someone buys Wild Tiger merchandise or says that I'm their favorite hero. It's not selfish to like that feeling, I don't think. But..." He pursed his lips, taking a pause to think before he went on. "As for the rest of that stuff, it's all either out of your control, or a bridge you'll cross once the baby arrives, right?"

"You don't think I'm getting fat, do you?" Barnaby asked, obviously not wanting to talk anymore about hero stuff. He eyes snapped towards Kotetsu now too. "My stomach sticks out like a sore thumb and don't act like you haven't noticed my breakouts. It's like I'm back in high school or something. And I'm getting this weird pigment thing on the palms of my hands. I honestly feel like I should be living under a bridge and demanding an unreasonable toll for passage."

Kotetsu looked sympathetic, and also like he was trying really hard not to laugh at that. "Well, I mean, sure pregnancy is gonna have its... undesirable physical side-effects, but like, that's normal, right? You shouldn't beat yourself up about it. Just get mad at nature."

The blond man frowned a little. "You didn't answer my question, Kotetsu. Do you think I'm getting fat?" Barnaby leaned forward, almost looking desperate. "Do you think I'm still attractive? Would you still sleep with me while I'm like this?"

Kotetsu felt like he was being set up for some kind of trap with a question like that. "Of course I'd still sleep with you, Bunny. There are very few situations that would make me _not_ sleep with you," he said earnestly.

Barnaby blinked. "O-Oh, really?" He sat back again, smiling a little between flattered and embarrassed. "I was starting to think... because we haven't done much since we found out, y'know? Sure, we fondled and made out plenty, but..." He rubbed his free hand over his belly. "I thought maybe this... me... was turning you off."

"That's not it at all," Kotetsu said, shaking his head. "I just... Well, you've been so worried about having accidentally hurt the baby with too much physical activity that sex didn't seem like a very, uh... Considerate suggestion."

Another few blinks and then Barnaby couldn't help laughing. "I _have_ been worried about that, haven't I?" He kept laughing for a few moments longer before chuckling and humming quietly. Blushing, he looked over at his boyfriend again. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're a true gentleman, Kotetsu?"

Kotetsu laughed now too, shrugging his shoulders. "What can I say? I'm a firm believer in keeping it in my pants when my child's safety is in question," he said, jokingly, even as his ears turned pink at the compliment.

Barnaby just shook his head. Where did Kotetsu get it from? "Well, maybe we can try doing things a little bit more, so long as we're careful about it." He retired himself to the summer night air. Even though the bed was on the floor, Kotetsu made sure the blond bunny had everything he needed to keep comfortable.

Barnaby spent most of his day helping Anju in the garden, mostly picking weeds, but would get distracted by the neighbor's fat orange cat that came strolling through, and he'd have to pick it up and cuddle it. Once it got late enough, they headed out for the ice rink so they could watch Kaede practice as promised. "How's your arm feel?" Barnaby asked as they walked through the parking lot.

"Better," Kotetsu said, experimentally flexing his fingers, as much as the cast would allow. "I can use my Hundred Power for healing every hour since I'm not worried about having to use it for anything else, so the cast will probably be ready to come off by the time we get back to the city." Back when he had five full minutes of Hundred Power, he could heal broken bones and bleeding wounds and anything else life could throw at him all at once, with just five minutes of intense concentration. But one minute every hour just didn't seem to have the extreme healing properties that five straight minutes did.

"And you'll move to the B-League this time, right?" the younger man prompted. "Kotetsu, I don't need another scare like the other day. I need you in one piece. The pregnancy isn't going to get any easier for me..." They stepped inside and Barnaby gasped against the rush of cold air to his face. In hindsight, they probably should have worn jackets. The rink was fairly empty save for the small handful of girls practicing and their instructor. Kaede just finished a Biellman spin when she noticed both men taking a seat in the bleachers, so she waved excitedly at them.

Kotetsu smiled and waved back at Kaede as they carefully sat down, Barnaby needing to fight his center of gravity and Kotetsu needing to make sure he didn't try and brace himself with his injured arm. "Now that we can't fight as a duo, yeah, I'll step down to B-League. I'll tell Lloyds about it as soon as we get back, I promise."

Each of the girls took turns practicing their routines to music, all of them knowing about half the choreography at this point. Kaede shined brighter, though, having learned her entire routine and now putting all her effort into mastering it. She leaned down into a candlestick spiral and Barnaby whistled. "Wow, she's _really_ good."

"Yeah, you're right," Kotetsu responded, voice soft and awed. He had no idea Kaede was so good. The one time he was supposed to come see her compete in a figure skating competition, it had been ruined by that NEXT kid who attacked the building. But now, he saw exactly what he missed out on. "I had no idea she got so good..." he murmured, feeling a wetness at the corner of his eyes which he quickly banished with a scrubbing motion and the back of his functional hand.

Barnaby chuckled kindly. "Silly old man," he said and leaned against Kotetsu's shoulder. Kaede continued her routine, pulling off flying spins, a lutz jump, and even a cantilever. When she finished, her teammates all applauded and the girl blushed. "I hope she doesn't give up ice skating when she starts Hero Academy. It'd be a shame to waste such talent."

After practice and changing out of her skates, Kaede ran up to the pair. "You came!"

"Of course!" Barnaby replied with a smile. "You looked beautiful out there, Kaede."

Kotetsu was practically blubbering by the time Kaede came up to them, throwing his arms around his daughter and picking her up with no regard for his bandaged-up arm. "You're amazing, Kaede! I can't believe my little girl's so talented! I wish I'd come out to see you skate sooner!"

"K-Kotetsu, your arm!" Barnaby gasped.

Kaede just laughed and let her dad spin her around before putting her back down on the ground. "I mean, I _did_ ask you to come see me a bunch of times, but I'm glad you were finally able to make it. My teacher says if I keep practicing and improving at this rate, I'll graduate from junior skater to senior skater in time for winter competition!"

"That's awesome, Kaede," Kotetsu said, gasping like he was crying even though he'd made sure to thoroughly dry his eyes. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Papa."

"I think this good news calls for ice cream," Barnaby suggested. There was a vendor not too far from the rink. The little hut was a single refrigerated building with a walk-up window and bench seating. Barnaby treated everyone: Kaede to her raspberry and dark chocolate chunk on a waffle cone, Kotetsu to his double scoop of rocky road on a waffle cone, and his own butter pecan with caramel sauce in a cup.

"Papa, Papa, taste trade," said Kaede as she held up her cone.

"You got it," Kotetsu said, tilting his cone towards her. They each took a lick of each other's ice cream, and Kotetsu pulled back with ice cream in his goatee. "A little sweet for me, but an excellent flavor choice overall," Kotetsu said, in a mock-connoisseur voice.

Kaede giggled at the sticky purplish smear in his beard. When Kotetsu looked confused, Barnaby just shook his head. "Come here, old man," he said, turning his boyfriend's jaw, and then licking the ice cream from his goatee.

Kaede scrunched up her nose. "Auh, gross you guys."

Now it was Barnaby's turn to laugh. "Sorry, it's just easier than a napkin."

She watched the two men tease each other, mostly Kotetsu making fun of Barnaby's plain choice in ice cream flavors, and then immediately apologizing when the blond bunny began pouting. Her dad then made some kind of comparison between ice cream and fried rice doughnuts that she didn't really get, and he touched Barnaby's belly with a chuckle. That made Kaede think. "<Papa, have you visited Mom and told her yet?>"

Kotetsu looked confused when he heard Japanese, looking over at his daughter and taking a second to process what she said. His first thought was to say that it was rude to speak in their native language in front of someone to keep them out of the conversation, but... Her question was innocent enough. She probably just didn't want to ruin the mood. "<Not yet,>" he answered, leaning over towards her. "<Want to go with me this week?>"

Barnaby looked between the two of them and ate a spoonful of ice cream. He knew the word "okasan," so he could sort of guess what they were talking about. "<I'd like to go, yes,>" Kaede replied with a nod. "<I wanna tell her that I'm excited about the baby and that I promise to be nice to her.>" She glanced at the blond man and then back at her father. "<Can it be just you and me, though?>"

"<Sure, dear,>" Kotetsu said, smiling at his daughter and nodding his head. "<I'm sure everyone will understand.>" He also looked at Barnaby, offering a guilty smile. He hoped his boyfriend would understand that he'd tell him what they were discussing later without him having to say it—he didn't want to embarrass Kaede or anything.

Barnaby looked between them again and then held up his ice cream. "Oishi!" he proclaimed before taking another spoonful. Clearly, he didn't mind their private conversation. He understood this particular father-daughter relationship, and if Kaede needed a private moment with her dad, Barnaby was more than willing to oblige.

Kaede broke into giggles. "Papa, you _have_ been teaching him!"

Kotetsu couldn't help chuckling too. "I guess so," he said, reaching over and putting a hand on Barnaby's knee, squeezing appreciatively.

They went home together after ice cream. Kaede went to her room to do homework and Barnaby had to lie down for a nap. In the meantime, Kotetsu helped his mom prepare dinner. A couple hours later, everyone sat down for a meal of miso soup and fried rice, of course. Again, Barnaby found himself with a larger portion. Kotetsu gushed more about Kaede and her ice skating. Kaede blushed and told him about all her upcoming competitions. After dinner, Barnaby helped Anju with the dishes even after she insisted he didn't have to. He then retired to the bath, but this time, he took Kotetsu with him. "Is this part of that whole 'skinship' thing you told me about?" Barnaby knelt on the tile floor while scrubbing Kotetsu's back, who sat on the little wooden stool. Naturally, they both abandoned their clothes before coming inside, and the heat of the waiting bath filled the air with a comfortably warm haze.

"Yeah, part of it," Kotetsu said, looking concernedly over his shoulder at Barnaby. He insisted Barnaby not try crouching and kneel instead, but he was still concerned with the wet tile floor. Still, he had to admit that he was enjoying this a bit, and eventually stopped peering over his shoulder and let himself relax, closing his eyes and letting out a grateful sigh. "By the way," he murmured, "Sorry about keeping you out of that conversation with Kaede earlier. I guess she was embarrassed, switching to Japanese like that."

Barnaby shook his head with a smile. "You don't need to apologize. I only understood the word for 'mother' and assumed she didn't want to hurt my feelings. I know she really likes me and has been entirely approving of our relationship, but I also understand that she might have a reservation or two about her mother's place in the family dynamic. She still knows I'm not trying to replace Tomoe, right? I'm nowhere near a proper substitute for a mother and that was never my intention."

"Oh, no, that's not it at all," Kotetsu said, shaking his head quickly. "She just wants to go visit Tomoe and tell her about the new baby, just the two of us." He then chuckled, looking over his shoulder again. "You do realize that you _are_ kinda gonna be a mother, right?"

Barnaby blushed and looked away. "Wh-What... just because I'm the one giving birth? It's not like I'm going to be giving the baby milk or anything. I-I'm just another dad."

"If you look at it that way, Bunny," Kotetsu allowed, smirking when he saw Barnaby blush.

"Well, smart guy," Barnaby quipped and pinched a bit of skin on Kotetsu's side, "in exactly what ways do you think I'm 'kinda gonna be a mother'?"

"Ow!" Kotetsu whined, pouting at the blond. "Well, I dunno! Maybe you'll get some motherly instinct hormones or something."

Barnaby eased up on the pinching and sat back on his heels, now looking very thoughtful. "Do you really think that, Kotetsu? I didn't grow up with parents. Samantha was really sweet and Maverick... Everything about him blew up in my face. What if I don't know how to be a good father _or_ mother?" he asked, cupping a hand beneath his belly.

Kotetsu blinked, looking blindsided for a second. The emotional whiplash of going from teasing and joking to serious questions was palpable. "Um," he started, quietly, turning himself around on the stool so he was facing his boyfriend. "Do you think you won't be? Just because you don't have a model to work off of doesn't mean you can't get the hang of it. You're smart, so... why shouldn't you be able to?" he asked gently.

"Well, I don't know." Barnaby shrugged. "Having a role model helps, don't you think? Most people get to decide what they will do and won't do the same as their parents. You learn discipline styles and child rearing patterns from your own parents. Sometimes I do wonder if I'll be any good at it. Then again..." He glanced at the older man. "You're awesome with Kaede, so if I had to choose a parenting role model, it should be you."

"Don't emulate me," Kotetsu said, blushing and scratching at the back of his head. "It took me twelve years to figure the whole thing out. Honestly, I kinda feel like I'm gonna start from square one, actually having a little newborn baby again. It's sort of exciting," he admitted, managing a meek smile.

Barnaby hummed. "I guess nobody gets it right away, but you still have more experience than I do. You told me it was rough for a while, but Kaede adores you now, so you must be doing it right." He smiled again and pushed Kotetsu's shoulder. "It's _very_ exciting, Kotetsu! Do you know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that?"

"Have I not said it yet?" Kotetsu asked, looking surprised and allowing himself to be pushed. "Of course I'm excited! The part when they're tiny babies and toddlers... That's like the best part. Even if I'm not the best at... that part," he said, thinking back to when they were tasked with watching the mayor's son, and how completely incompetent he'd been at that despite being the only hero with parenting experience. "Maybe I'll be better the second time around."

"I mean, you sort of know now what to do and not to do, so you can make better-suited choices this time. If it's another girl, you'll know exactly what to do. And I'm sure you'll be just fine at the tiny baby and toddler part. I'm not big on infants crying, so you might have to step in and be my hero during those parts." Barnaby stood up, his foot slipping on the wet tile for a split second, but he caught his balance. Normally, he would offer his hand to help Kotetsu up, but he knew the man would reject his help due to the pregnancy. He let Kotetsu into the bath first, though, and then got in after and leaned back against his boyfriend's chest. "I feel so much lighter in the water."

Kotetsu let out a sigh, relaxing once Barnaby was in the bath without falling over. "Yeah?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Barnaby's chest and burying his head in the other man's shoulder, and simultaneously, his blond curls. "It looks really tough," he said into Barnaby's hair. "I'm sure I'd be complaining all the time."

Barnaby smiled and turned his head a little so their foreheads touched. "It's not so bad most of the time. I look bigger and heavier than the baby really is all thanks to that pelvis thing the doctor told us about. I mean, I am heavy, but… whatever. The hardest part, I think, is losing my sense of balance. It's pretty disorienting, you know? My feet swelling and ankles hurting are a close second. Although, my hips are starting to hurt more too. I think because of my pelvis shape again and the distribution of weight." He chuckled and swept his fingers over the tops of Kotetsu's thighs. "You _would_ constantly complain, old man."

"And rightly so! All of that sounds like something worth constantly complaining about," Kotetsu gawked. Barnaby complained, sure, but Kotetsu felt like he didn't hear the half of it when the blond described it like that. Sometimes Barnaby's stoicism took him by surprise, even though everyone in their social circle agreed that Barnaby would rather die than vent, more often than not. Kotetsu caught himself occasionally feeling flattered when Barnaby got emotional, like he was being allowed to see something rare. "It's a good thing we're not really a tiger and bunny, or we'd have a litter on our hands. Er, paws," Kotetsu joked, smirking and closing his eyes.

Barnaby chuckled louder at that, but then he quieted himself down again. "Don't tempt fate, babe. I can handle one, but if I woke up tomorrow suddenly pregnant with twins or triplets, I wouldn't be happy." He wasn't sure his pelvis could handle a load like that. He could tell Kotetsu was relaxing now, the man having gone quiet, which was rare. Barnaby tip-toed his fingers along the older man's good hand before taking hold of it, bringing it beneath the water, and setting it to the side of his belly.

Kotetsu made a small, contented noise in his throat to acknowledge Barnaby's hand on his, and let his hand be submerged and positioned. The smirk on his face turned into a softer smile, eyes still closed as he started to gently rub the palm of his hand over the stretched skin in affectionate circles.

Barnaby blushed. He liked this. A lot. Physical touch was something he held very dear. Maverick wasn't entirely affectionate and Samantha did her best. She sometimes held him in her lap while reading him a bedtime story and gave him hugs of praise, but that wasn't the same as a mother's affection. After having his memories manipulated twice—at least that he knew of—Barnaby counted on physical affection to confirm that the people he loved, namely Kotetsu, were real and with him in the moment. He leaned more heavily against his lover and smiled. "Will you do more of this?" the blond asked softly.

"Sure," Kotetsu responded, voice equally quiet, leaning forward again and resting his cheek against the top of Barnaby's head. "Whatever you want me to do, Bunny." He tilted his face down and kissed the top of his lover's head, running his hand over the top of the blond's stomach and wishing in that moment that his other hand wasn't mostly in a cast.

Barnaby was so relaxed that he didn't even feel like insisting that offer made him feel selfish. It wasn't _always_ about him, was it? Oh well, right now, it was all about Bunny and he was okay with that. Their skin turning pruney was the only thing that eventually got the men out of the tub. Barnaby opted to sleeping with the door open to the back garden again. He loved the fresh air and sound of the crickets. He didn't get that back in the city. All he slept in was a pair of shorts, too. During the night, he spooned himself up against Kotetsu, almost using the man like a body pillow. He draped both arms around that tan torso, tangled their legs together, pressed his belly into Kotetsu's back, and snored oh so softly in his ear. Sometime during the early morning, one of the three people in the room decided it was time to be awake. They made this known with one kick, then another, and then a few more right into the small of Kotetsu's spine.

Kotetsu didn't notice at first, but the kicks became more insistent and closer together, and suddenly the light taps of a tiny foot against his back became impossible to ignore. He squinted his eyes against the light pouring in through the open door, and turned his head a little to try and talk to the man snuggled up against his back. "Bunny... Bunny. You awake?" he whispered, voice groggy.

Barnaby hummed and buried his face deeper into the pillow and Kotetsu's hair. "Nnnyo Tiger..." he mumbled in reply. It was way too early to even pretend being awake. Since he wasn't allowed to have coffee, Barnaby woke up whenever his brain decided it was ready to face the day without caffeine. "Whu... Whasss why?"

Kotetsu couldn't help a chuckle, elbow coming to rest on his own pillow, propping his head up as he watched the mess of curls that made up the only part of Barnaby he could see at this angle. "Your stomach's trying to break my spine, that's what," he murmured jokingly.

"My st'mach did wha?" What was Kotetsu trying to tell him? _Stupid old man._ It was too early for riddles. Barnaby decided not to humor his boyfriend and started curling even deeper into Kotetsu when the baby gave another kick, and this time, it got his attention. Barnaby froze and one green eye opened widely. "What..." He felt another kick, as if to settle his confusion. "O-Oh."

"Let me feel," Kotetsu said, waiting until Barnaby relinquished the vice grip of his arms around Kotetsu's torso, and then turning over so he was facing his boyfriend. He then laid his head back on the pillow, bad arm unable to hold his head up as his good arm reached out and placed his hand on the place where he felt the kicks coming from, right on the peak of Barnaby's stomach. And then he felt it, another tiny, insistent kick, and his sleepy face lit up.

Barnaby wasn't sure what to do with himself. Lying with both arms at his sides made him feel like a corpse. He finally settled on one arm across his chest and the other behind his head. Even though everything was slightly blurry, he could clearly see Kotetsu's hand coming to lay flat atop his belly. He felt the kick, and immediately, green eyes flicked towards Kotetsu's face. "The baby's kicking," Barnaby whispered.

"Yeah," Kotetsu answered, so enthralled that he didn't notice tears immediately spring to the corners of his tired eyes, half from sleep and half from an unexpected flood of joy from his chest to his toes. The tears streaked down his face horizontally, following the tracks of the subtle lines by his temples, and he grinned widely. "I'm gonna be a dad again," he said, breathy, like he was just realizing at that very moment.

Barnaby didn't miss those tears. He worried for the first few seconds, but then Kotetsu kept on smiling, so he mustn’t be sad. "Oh..." he breathed when Kotetsu said that. It was probably the sweetest thing he ever heard the big tiger say. Barnaby finally smiled too. He lifted the hand off his chest and used a knuckle to wipe the corner of amber eyes. "Oh, Papa Tiger, what am I going to do with you?" the blond hummed sweetly.

Kotetsu closed his eyes tightly, trying to stop the tears but not finding an easy time of it. He made an appreciative sound when Barnaby wiped the tears away for him, turning his head and wiping his face on the pillowcase. He'd be doing laundry this morning anyway. "That's a great question. I wonder how you handle me sometimes," Kotetsu croaked, smiling even as more tears simply sprung up and put the tear trails right back on his tan face. The baby was still kicking against his palm and Kotetsu was a little embarrassed about how emotional that made him, but he couldn't help it.

"It's good practice for when the baby actually gets here," Barnaby teased. Watching Kotetsu smile and cry was sweet and funny at the same time. It warmed Barnaby's heart to see his partner so excited. It made him feel special, too, that he could give this opportunity to the man he loved. "Careful, Papa Tiger, or you'll float away." Barnaby rolled over a bit—not enough to dislodge Kotetsu's hand from its beloved perch—and started kissing his boyfriend's face... his cheeks, nose, lips, chin... "If you're like this just because the baby is kicking, I can't even imagine what you'll be like when they're actually born."

"I'm gonna be inconsolable for a minimum of thirty minutes," Kotetsu predicted with a puff of laughter escaping from between his wibbling lips. He was starting to calm down now, gasping gently to stop himself from letting any more tears slip and sniffling, letting Barnaby wipe his eyes dry. "I was not expecting to get so worked up," he admitted, softly, a blush blooming on his face as Barnaby kissed him and ran his thumb through the shiny trails on Kotetsu's skin.

Barnaby hummed gently. "I think it was really sweet, Kotetsu." The fact that the older man _did_ get so worked up led Barnaby to believe that Kotetsu had deeper regrets about Tomoe than he ever let on to anyone. Kaede was probably just a start for them. If the woman was still alive, they might have even had two more kids by now. Kotetsu seemed like the kind of guy who'd want a lot of kids. Any dream of a big family died with Tomoe, but Barnaby was his second chance. Kotetsu got to try one more time at having that family. Barnaby was simply grateful that Kotetsu wasn't the kind of guy to always make comparisons out loud between spouses. "Kaede is going to flip her lid."

"She sure is," Kotetsu agreed, finally wiping his eyes dry. "She's so happy to have you in the family, y'know," he added, quietly. They had their odd moment during this trip—mostly when Kaede spoke Japanese in front of Barnaby to keep something between her and her dad—but it was clear that Kaede's relationship with Barnaby was changing, and really quickly now that her little sibling was in the equation. "She's gone from being a fan of yours to adopting you in really fast," he said with a tired laugh.

"I think that was my biggest concern," Barnaby admitted. "I wasn't sure being a fan of me as a hero would translate into accepting me as her dad's boyfriend. I knew there was a chance your mom and brother wouldn't welcome me into the family, but I could live with that. I always considered Kaede most important." After all, it was Barnaby who insisted they should break up if Kaede wasn't on board with their relationship. As much as he loved Kotetsu, he wouldn't let that love tear apart the Kaburagi family. The baby didn't kick as much now. Barnaby assumed it got too tired. He sighed contentedly as Kotetsu rubbed a hand over his belly lazily until both of them fell asleep again.


	7. Visiting Tomoe

The smell of tea, rice, eggs and bacon lured them awake a few hours later. Barnaby yawned and stretched, but then found the older man's arm and head draped across his chest. The blond laughed. "Papa Tiger..." he hummed, patting Kotetsu on the shoulder.

"Mm," Kotetsu responded, shifting only a bit and grabbing the sheet, pulling it up over his shoulder. "Five more minutes," he mumbled into Barnaby's chest, snuggling closer. Barnaby insistently patting his shoulder finally got him to blink his eyes open and dramatically roll onto his back with a loud exhale, letting Barnaby get up. He watched Barnaby stand up from where he laid, arms outstretched on either side. Eventually, he grinned. "You look good," he commented lazily.

Barnaby laughed. "Naturally," he replied and flipped his curls over one shoulder; although, he noticed they were starting to fall flat. Barnaby padded around the room in search of proper clothing besides the simple pair of red boxers he wore. First, he stepped into a pair of plaid sleep pants and tied the strings tightly around his hips. Next, he pulled on a black shirt that mostly covered his figure, but from his spot on the floor, Kotetsu would see his exposed underbelly. "Your mom has breakfast cooking. Don't be too long." Barnaby walked over to his boyfriend, held his stomach as he got down on his knees where he leaned over even further to deposit a kiss on Kotetsu's lips, and then stood himself up again.

Kotetsu's smile widened, accepting the kiss happily and then stretching his arms and legs like a cat. He noticed the exposed slice of skin and debated for a few quick seconds over if he should say something. "You're showing a little bit," he finally decided to comment, knowing that Barnaby would chew him out later if he _didn't_ say something.

Barnaby blushed. He pushed up his glasses, causing the lenses to catch the morning light and hide his eyes. "W-Well, tell your kid to stop growing so much," he huffed, clearly embarrassed. Barnaby went over to the closet in search of something else he could wear. He found a few more yukata hanging up, so he pulled one off the hanger and promptly wrapped it around himself. It was black cotton with embroidered green bamboo shoots and a matching green belt. After slipping into his special slippers, he slid open the door to the rest of the house. "Don't dawdle, dumb old man."

"Aw, that insult sounds like old times," Kotetsu teased back, laughing to himself as he rolled over and forced himself up off the floor. He got dressed in his normal slacks and button-up shirt and then finally followed Barnaby to breakfast, catching sight of the little cat-shaped clock hanging in the kitchen and realizing that it was pretty late in the morning. A full week of this, he could get used to.

Barnaby didn't indulge in breakfast like he normally did since he was still embarrassed by Kotetsu's comment, but the older man kept sneaking food onto his plate and insisting he shouldn't skimp on meals while eating for two. While Kotetsu did laundry, Barnaby swept the house and Anju did the dusting. After getting dressed, Barnaby then joined Anju in the garden again where they pulled weeds and pruned back the roses. Kaede arrived home from school late in the afternoon, seeking out her family members after removing her shoes and dropping her backpack on the kitchen table. Barnaby greeted her with a smile and insisted he had something special to tell her. He took the girl's hands and placed them on either side of his belly. After a few moments of waiting, Kaede suddenly squealed at the top of her lungs, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"

Kotetsu heard that squeal from the next room over and nearly jumped out of his skin, but then collected himself and came into the kitchen to probably one of the cutest sights he'd seen all day. He leaned against the doorframe, taking out his phone and silently snapping a photo of his boyfriend and his daughter, not wanting to ruin the moment... But absolutely needing this as his wallpaper for a while.

Every night that week, Barnaby and Kotetsu watched fireflies from their room until falling asleep. They woke up late, snuggling until the smells of food drew them out to the kitchen. Barnaby helped Anju in the garden and Kotetsu helped Kaede with her homework. Dinner always included fried rice. Kaede always insisted on feeling her baby sister kick before she went to bed. When the weekend rolled around, Barnaby waved at the father-daughter pair as they left on their special outing. Kaede insisted they stop and get flowers first; a bouquet of her mother's favorite according to Kotetsu's memory. "When's the last time you came to see mom?" the girl asked as they climbed the hill towards the cemetery.

"The last time I came to see all of you," Kotetsu said, the bouquet cradled in his arm to prevent losing any of the white and yellow chrysanthemums. "I visit mom every time I come home." Some families simply kept a shrine of lost loved ones in the home, but the Kaburagi family had a plot, with rows of small headstones dating back generations. Eventually they came to the flattened-out plot at the top of the hill, with small stone walkways in-between each row of headstones. They found Tomoe's name, placed alongside names of family members from Kotetsu's mother's generation. There were two small vases sitting on either side of the headstone, with similar flowers that were now withered. Kotetsu took the withered flowers away, and then gave the bouquet to Kaede to split in half, placing half the flowers in one vase and the rest in the other. "Much better," Kotetsu commented, taking the water bottle he brought with him and filling up each vase diligently.

Kaede smiled at the much prettier display of flowers. She tried visiting as often as she could, especially before ice skating tournaments, but she couldn't always afford flowers on her own. <"Hi, mom,"> she said and got down on her knees, hands flat in her lap. <"Papa and I came together today. He came to visit for a whole week. Can you believe it? He hurt his arm at work, but he says it's not too bad. He brought Barnaby with him, too. School and ice skating are going great, but that's not why I came. Papa has something he wants to tell you about Barnaby, right Papa?"> she prompted and looked up at the man.

Kotetsu knelt next to Kaede, staying quiet and listening to her talk at first. Then she looked at him, and he took a big breath inward. <"Right,"> he agreed, looking towards the headstone. <"Hi Tomoe,"> he started, smiling sadly. <"It's been a little while. I think the last time I was here, I was just starting to have nice things to say about Barnaby,"> he said, chuckling gently. <"But now... Well, he's becoming part of the family. It's hard to believe, but he's got a NEXT power that's going to give Kaede a little sibling,"> he continued, noticing the look Kaede gave him, ever insistent that she was going to have a sister. He patted her head fondly before folding his hands back in his lap. <"And... well, let's keep this between the three of us... I'm going to ask him to marry me before the baby comes.">

Kaede pouted at her dad when he said 'sibling' instead of 'sister.' Couldn't he humor her just a little bit? Maybe Tomoe would do her daughter a favor and provide some kind of divine influence to ensure the baby came out a girl. Then Kotetsu brought up his plan to marry Barnaby, and her brown eyes went wide as saucers. <"You're going to propose to Barnaby?"> she asked. Kaede didn't expect that at all. She thought they were only coming to tell her mom about the baby. Kaede never thought about her dad re-marrying. Not that he wasn't allowed to. She just thought between his hero work and still being so fond of Tomoe, he'd never fall in love again enough to marry someone. <"You love Barnaby that much, Papa?">

<"Yeah, Kaede,"> Kotetsu said, laughing meekly. He could almost hear Tomoe giggling at him as he stumbled over his words. <"Obviously, no one could ever replace your mother. But... I do love Barnaby, and I want him to be a real part of the family, too.">

The girl nodded with an expression stuck between happy and hesitant. <"Do I have to start calling him 'dad' after you two get married?"> Kaede asked. She knew very well that Barnaby would never replace Tomoe, but exactly what did 'a real part of the family' mean for her relationship with him? <"I know he's having my sister and she might call him 'mom,' but I don't think I want to call him that too.">

<"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, sweetheart,"> Kotetsu said, shaking his head gently. <"If you want to keep calling him Barnaby, then go ahead and do it."> Kaede assuming that her hypothetical little sister would call Barnaby 'mom' made him crack a little smile, though. Whatever the baby chose to call Barnaby would probably stick, whether he liked it or not.

Kaede nodded, feeling better simply knowing that she was allowed to continue treating Barnaby whatever way was most comfortable for her. <"I don't think he has any idea you'll propose to him. Grandma will be really surprised too."> She turned her attention back on the headstone. <"Papa says if the baby is a girl, she'll get grandma's name. I think it's super cute. I'm the only one around here who's sure the baby will be a girl. Papa has one girl already, so think it makes sense that I'd get a sister out of this. If the baby is a boy, which it won't be, his name will be Banabi. Don't get me wrong. It's a cute name too, but like I said. I'm getting a sister. Oh!"> Kaede clapped her hands. <"I told Papa I want to go to Hero Academy when I'm older and he said yes! I can still go, right?"> she asked, looking up at him again. <"You didn't change your mind already?">

Kotetsu couldn't help a swell of pride in his chest. It was such a tiny thing, but Kaede took everything with such a mature stride. It took all his strength not to gush over her like he used to, the way she used to hate. <"I haven't changed my mind,"> Kotetsu assured her. <"I think you'll make a great hero, and I think your mother would agree,"> he said, regarding the headstone with a smile. <"And going to the academy to get the proper training is what you'd want for her, right, Tomoe? That's the only way she'd be able to rest easy,"> he added, gently scrubbing at the corners of his eyes with his knuckles. Man, did he always tear up this easily?

<"Papa..."> cooed Kaede. She pushed up on her knees and wrapped her arms around Kotetsu's neck, hugging him tightly. <"I know you and mom always want me to be safe. I'll go to the academy and train really hard. I'll be strong and ready the first time I go out.">

<"And then you'll become the best hero in all of Stern Build,"> Kotetsu prompted, wrapping his arms around his daughter and pulling her close, too. <"If the people of the city think they've got good heroes now, wait until they see my little girl in action.">

Kaede giggled and kissed his cheek. They spent another hour at the grave while telling Tomoe stories about school, ice skating, girlfriends, and hero work. It'd been a long walk to the cemetery, so it was a long walk back. The sky just started turning orange when they arrived home. "So how was your visit?" Barnaby asked when the pair walked into the sitting room.

Kaede couldn't help giggling behind her hands, knowing what the blond man didn't. "It was good, but I gotta go do homework. Goodnight!" she chirped and ran to her room.

Barnaby watched her go with a quirked eyebrow. "What's that all about? Does she have a crush on a boy or something?"

Kotetsu rubbed at his temple, despite his smile. Kaede was smart, but she had a pretty bad poker face. "I think she's just happy, getting everything off her chest to Tomoe," he responded, coming to sit down next to Barnaby, putting an arm on his shoulders and depositing a kiss on his cheek. "Hey, by the way. Have a good day?"

"Hey," Barnaby replied with a chuckle. "Mhm, I did. Your mom showed me how to grill yakitori and how to pack together onigiri so they don't fall apart. Fried rice might be your favorite, but I bet you're ready for me to cook you other things by now. I think I can add those two to the menu. Miso soup is still a little tricky, though."

"She put you to work, huh," Kotetsu joked, leaning back and chuckling gently. "You're supposed to be on vacation!" He noticed Barnaby's slightly disapproving glance, and he put one hand up and waved dismissively. "I’m kidding. Can't wait to taste it."

"Even with your mom 'putting me to work,' this vacation has been far more relaxing than our daily life back at home. We'll be leaving in a few days and I can only imagine what's waiting for us." Barnaby sighed quietly and reached up to hold the hand draped around his shoulders. "The first few times you described this place to me, I couldn't imagine living here. I thought it would get so boring so quickly, but I was wrong. I almost wonder now why you ever left it for the city in the first place."

"I've told you why," Kotetsu prompted, lacing his fingers in with Barnaby's. "After Mr. Legend saved my life, I knew I had to become a hero. As nice as it is to spend time out here... I don't think I could live here full-time with a normal job. It just wouldn't be me. This break has been nice, though."

Barnaby nodded. Of course he knew the story of how Kotetsu ended up in Stern Build, but how Kotetsu could tear himself away from the tranquility of his hometown was still sort of crazy. "After the baby is born, I think we should take a lot more trips out here. We need to finally get around to having our contracts re-written to better suit our time and needs as parents, and vacation time needs to definitely be included."

"Yeah, I agree," Kotetsu said, looking around at the house. Stern Build was where they needed to live, but the baby could only benefit from spending a good amount of time in a more peaceful environment. That was exactly the same logic that saw Kaede being moved out here to live with his mother, along with Kotetsu's need for secrecy. "We could spend all our holidays out here, too," he hummed, smiling gently.

"That sounds really nice," Barnaby hummed. He leaned his head on Kotetsu's shoulder. He could smell Anju starting to cook dinner. Normally, he'd get up to help, but she insisted earlier that he'd been on his feet enough for today. Suddenly, the blond flinched. Barnaby chuckled and placed his free hand on the side of his stomach. "I'll have to get used to that."

"They moving?" Kotetsu asked, reaching his hand over to where Barnaby's was currently resting immediately, on reflex. He then paused, Barnaby's hand still over the spot, and smiled sheepishly, realizing he should probably ask first. "Mind if I...?"

Barnaby couldn't help laughing more boldly this time. "You don't have to ask, you silly old man. It's your baby too. You can feel them whenever you want." He moved his hand out of the way, almost tempted to grab Kotetsu's wrist and press it to the kicks for him. "Kotetsu, trust me. You can always assume that I don't mind unless I say otherwise. I like you touching the baby. I think it's good."

"Well, sure, I assume as much, but I want to be a gentleman," Kotetsu answered, sliding his hand into place where Barnaby's was. He felt the tiny thumping against his palm, smiling gently. "Eventually, you're going to be able to see a little hand or foot," he sighed.

"That's wild," Barnaby hummed. He looked down at Kotetsu's hand at first, but then he lifted his gaze to watch the older man's face. Kotetsu's expression was the best right now. He looked happy, peaceful, proud, and a little bit excited. Not much about this pregnancy seemed to scare him unless Barnaby brought up his own fears. Even then, though, Kotetsu would say that being scared didn't do any good, so why be scared? Barnaby thought... it was a lot like being a hero, wasn't it? The job was exciting and rewarding, and getting scared was pointless. If they didn't do the job, then who would? Barnaby felt his cheeks turning pink. "I love you."

Kotetsu looked surprised by Barnaby speaking so suddenly in the silence, but he turned pink as well, the tips of his ears flushing, and he grinned as he said, "Love you too," before he leaned in for a kiss.

The blush stuck on Barnaby's face from that moment. He fidgeted awkwardly through dinner, earning comments of concern from the others, but he insisted he was fine. He was antsy while Kotetsu took a bath and then rushed through his own. Finally, with the house quiet, everyone gone to bed, and just the fireflies looking in from the garden, Barnaby made his move. Wearing the black and bamboo yukata after his bath, he slid closed the bedroom door, shuffled over to Kotetsu in his own yukata, and started kissing the back of the older man's neck. His hands even pulled at the collar of the blue and gold patterned fabric to expose more neck and shoulders.

"Oh, hello there," Kotetsu said, chuckling as he tried to peer over his shoulder at the blond, damp hair falling into his eyes. "Is this what all that fidgeting was about?" he teased, his still bath-warm skin tingling from the attention.

"It's been a long time. A frustratingly long time," Barnaby answered. He knew Kotetsu stayed away from intimacy because of Barnaby's fears about too much exertion hurting the baby, but he was reaching levels of sexual frustration. His partner's warm skin was the perfect invitation. The kisses started out soft enough, but soon he was biting and sucking on spots, leaving behind dark marks on tan skin. "I'm going crazy."

"Careful," Kotetsu tutted, shifting around to face Barnaby. "Nowhere the family can see 'em," he warned, before waving towards himself, an invitation for Barnaby to climb into his lap. "We can do whatever you like, Barnaby. Just no powers," Kotetsu whispered once the blond crawled in close.

Barnaby rolled his green eyes. "I'm already pregnant, Kotetsu. I think your family knows we do this kind of stuff to each other." Regardless, he accepted the invitation into his lover's lap without a moment of hesitation. "I need you to touch me," he replied in a whisper, though much more heatedly. Barnaby swiftly untied the belt on Kotetsu's yukata and grabbed the man's hips. Then, he leaned down and started leaving those suckling kisses on his collarbone where button up shirts would hide them.

Kotetsu hummed with pleasure as Barnaby's mouth went lower, and he reached his hands forward to reciprocate. He pulled away the belt from Barnaby's yukata, letting the two sides easily fall open. From the angle he was sitting at, it was hard to see much of anything past Barnaby's belly, so he touched it first, gliding his fingertips lightly across the pinkened skin, each hand going in opposite directions towards Barnaby's hips.

Barnaby froze and shuddered. His breath came out in a hot, trembling exhale across Kotetsu's tan chest. That felt really good. The stretched skin was sensitive and coupled with his raging hormones, it was enough to drive him a little wild. Pale fingers gripped a little tighter at strong hips and Barnaby nuzzled his nose up under his boyfriend's chin. "K-Kotetsu..."

"Wow," Kotetsu breathed, face flushing slightly. He knew that sensitivity came hand-in-hand with pregnancy, but Barnaby's reactions were so much stronger than Tomoe's had been, even later on in the pregnancy. There was something really hot about it. Experimentally, he slid his fingertips back up to the crest of Barnaby's stomach, going even slower.

An intense shiver ran up Barnaby's spine, again making him tremble with pleasure. It forced his eyes closed while he panted quietly for a few seconds. The sensations were brand new, requiring time to get used to them, but part of Barnaby wanted more than just fingertips gliding over his skin. Such a feathery touch was at the same time both insanely pleasurable and yet not enough. "Kotetsu..." the blond whispered again. Barnaby's right hand pet up and down the older man's side, still shaking a bit.

"Okay," Kotetsu whispered back, running his hands back down, now palms and all. One hand found Barnaby's length and ran along it, wrapping his fingers around it and giving it slow, steady strokes at first, his other hand still rubbing along the curve of Barnaby's rounded side.

The color on Barnaby's face darkened into a hot blush. He wasn't sure he'd ever been this color before. "Oh... Oohhhh..." He trembled when Kotetsu finally paid attention to his aching length. It'd been too long. With the other large, warm hand still petting his belly, Barnaby was in heaven. He titled his head upward to leave kisses along Kotetsu's jaw. His teeth grazed the short hairs of the man's goatee and then left loving bites instead.

"I've never seen you this worked up," Kotetsu whispered, sounding for all the world like he was seeing a shooting star. He felt his blood rushing between his legs, but he didn't even mind that Barnaby seemed too preoccupied to touch him back. He was mesmerized by the blond's reactions. He suddenly moved his hand faster, picking up the pace with one sharp pump of his fist, palming the other man's stomach with a little more of a grip.

The comment finally pulled Barnaby from his stupor. He blinked and looked at Kotetsu's face. "I've... never f-felt like this before," he replied, still panting sensually. "Ahh!" Kotetsu picked up the pace and pushed Barnaby that much closer to the edge. "Y-Your hands feel amazing. My whole b-body is on fire." He finally concentrated long enough to drop his hand lower where he pet the inside of his boyfriend's thigh before gripping Kotetsu's erection. Barnaby wanted to keep the man excited, but not bring him to climax before they had the chance for actual sex.

“Mmm,” Kotetsu groaned, his rhythm faltering a little when Barnaby grabbed him like that. If Barnaby was doing that, it told Kotetsu that his partner wasn't just looking for a handjob. “What do you need?” he asked, panting heatedly.

“I need you inside me,” Barnaby sensually growled. The neighbor’s fat orange cat came sauntering by on the engawa and sat down to watch the men eagerly making out until a firefly caught its attention instead. Any other time when Barnaby had his proper wits about him, that would prompt him to shut the doors, but he was too busy losing his mind with Kotetsu’s palm pawing his sensitive belly and the promise of sex on the horizon. He laid back half on the futon and half on the floor while pulling his lover down by the yukata.

Even a gentle breeze coming in through the open doors and the wind-chime hanging in its path clinking together softly couldn't distract Kotetsu now. He didn't even mind that his knees were on the tatami, the two of them barely even making use of the futon as they kissed, Kotetsu's hands running over Barnaby's chest and sides. Finally, he pulled back, making a gesture with his finger to indicate he'd just be a minute as he made his way into the corner of the room, quickly rifling around in his bag for lube.

Barnaby couldn’t help an impatient groan. The lube was important, yes, yes, yes, but he was _so riled up_ right now! His glasses started fogging, so he took them off and set them to the side somewhere. “Kotetsu…” he panted in order to urge the man’s hasty return. Barnaby lightly dug his short fingernails into his own inner thigh and arched his back. “Kotetsu…”

Kotetsu made his way back to his lover as quickly as he could, noting that Barnaby didn't bother moving himself anymore onto the futon in the time Kotetsu was away, and he couldn't help a slightly lecherous grin making its way across his face. Something about that was cute and hot at the same time. The fogged-up glasses sitting off to the side were cute in a hot way, too. That accurately described Barnaby Brooks Jr., in his humble opinion. He popped the cap off the bottle and slicked up his fingers, and didn't waste much more time before he spread Barnaby's legs on either side of his hips and slipped his first two fingers inside.

“Nnnnh!” Barnaby grabbed Kotetsu’s robe and weaved the fingers on his free hand up into his curly blond bangs. He eagerly clenched around Kotetsu’s fingers, trying to draw them in deeper. Green eyes stared unfocused at the wood paneling on the ceiling. “Mhn… Mmmmh… Nhh…” Christ, he wanted sex, _needed_ sex. _Needed_ Kotetsu. “Pet me again,” Barnaby gasped.

Kotetsu's eyebrows raised, but he didn't make any sort of comment. He leaned back on his legs, adjusting his center of gravity so his free hand could do exactly as he was asked, stroking tan fingers across pale, sensitive skin as his other hand slipped a third finger inside his partner. “Bunny,” he said fondly, voice a quiet rumble.

“Big Tiger,” Barnaby moaned in reply. It slipped out of him one time and no matter how much he tried making Kotetsu forget it, the nickname ended up sticking. Barnaby’s legs that were losing muscle tone and gaining baby weight rubbed against his boyfriend’s sides. A prominent pink color spread across his face as heat flooded beneath his skin. He arched into the touch of tan fingers. “I can’t… I can’t take it…”

“Just a minute more, Bunny,” Kotetsu said, practically purring when his partner let that nickname loose from his lips. Kotetsu was not shy about vocalizing how much he loved that nickname and practically begging Barnaby to use it more. It would never become as common as 'Bunny', but hearing it exclusively in moments like this wasn't bad at all. Once Kotetsu was content with his work, he pulled his hand back, squeezing out more lube into his hand and slicking up his length. Watching Barnaby squirm and preen and arch this way and that was enough to get the blood rushing, and Kotetsu was practically aching to satisfy his partner's desire. Without another moment of hesitation, Kotetsu hoisted Barnaby's thighs up around his waist, and pushed himself in, practically shuddering at the sudden attention finally being paid to his length.

Barnaby shivered from head-to-toe. He grabbed both sides of the yukata and yanked Kotetsu downward until his tongue was licking at his lover’s lips and his teeth nipping at short goatee hairs. Barnaby impatiently rolled his hips. “Big Tiger,” he moaned again. It was the perfect way to encourage his older lover. “Give it to me, Big Tiger.” Already, there was an urge building in the back of his mind to activate their Hundred Powers and make this sex spectacular, but then his rational voice kicked in reminding him it probably wasn’t safe for the baby. Barnaby focused on Kotetsu’s thrusting along with their skin slapping together.

Kotetsu groaned from somewhere deep in his chest, guttural, feeling his blood rush every time Barnaby brazenly called to him using that nickname. “God, I could just... Devour you,” he growled, his hips moving at a faster pace as he leaned over, returning Barnaby's impatient yanks with nipping teeth, starting at his lover's earlobe and moving down his neck to his collarbone, leaving little marks along the way.

“Only if you devour me whole,” Barnaby replied. He wasn’t sure if that made sense, but his brain was too preoccupied with crazy good sex to care. The blond encircled his legs completely around Kotetsu’s waist. His hands started grappling with tan skin, leaving speckled red trails with his blunt fingernails. Barnaby felt Kotetsu’s firm abs rubbing against the soft dome of his belly, which drew a gasp from his wet, flushed lips. “Big Tiger, don’t stop. Don’t stop. Aah… Aah… Aaahh…!”

Even if Barnaby's dirty talk barely made any sense, the combination of that plus the feeling of those newly softened thighs around his waist really made Kotetsu's blood rush. His breathing got shorter and more staccato the more heated he became, his thrusts moving faster to keep up, biting harder at his lover's pale skin, leaving blooms of purple and red across his neck and shoulder.

Barnaby’s body craved this attention for weeks. He was over the moon feeling his lover inside him and leaning over him again. There was the vague notion of trying to keep quiet with Kaede and Anju also in the house, but Kotetsu was making it very difficult. Kotetsu thrust deeper inside him. Passion overwhelmed his better judgment. Barnaby groaned and suddenly his eyes glowed bright blue in the dark of the room. “Big Tiger,” he growled before crashing their lips together and rocking his hips to meet the man’s movements.

Kotetsu's entire body tensed up, unimaginable sensation suddenly enrapturing him from his head to his toes. Normally this was when Kotetsu would activate his power too, but his mind was slightly clearer, knowing that doing so was probably a really bad idea. But Barnaby had already activated his, and so they had five short minutes to enjoy it before he'd come down and they'd need to talk about it. But for now, Kotetsu groaned in the back of his throat, kissing his partner back, thrusting all the way in to the hilt as hard as he could manage without his power.

Five minutes flew by and Barnaby was a sweaty, panting, satisfied mess by the end of it. He was physically spent, and even though Kotetsu was too, he clenched in order to keep the older man inside himself for a bit longer. Blond curls matted to his damp cheeks and forehead. A rainbow of purple, red, and pink bites patterned pale skin. Barnaby smiled and let his arm drape over his heaving chest. “Big Tiger, you were so good.”

“I'm glad, Bunny,” Kotetsu responded gently, leaning down and kissing his partner on the forehead, leaving his lips alone after all the biting and sucking that turned them a pretty, shiny shade of red. “You were pretty amazing, too. I love you.”

“Mmmmm… I love you, too,” Barnaby purred. He rubbed his thighs against Kotetsu’s waist again and let his hands lazily play in short brown hair. “I never craved sex before I met you. You’re turning me into some sort of deviant.”

Kotetsu was still meaning to bring up Barnaby activating his powers, but... Still being inside his lover, bent over him, with hands in his hair and those thighs around his waist... Well, it made it hard to think about anything else. “Is that so bad?” he asked, teasing, nosing his way into Barnaby's blond hairline and kissing at his temple.

Barnaby laughed. “Only because we’re supposed to be role models.” He finally unclenched and let Kotetsu slide out of him. He picked up his glasses, but instead of putting them back on, he reached and placed them next to his pillow for the night. Barnaby also finally started maneuvering his way onto the futon proper.

Kotetsu let out a long breath, feeling post-sex tiredness flood into his muscles like a warm wave. “Real quick,” he murmured, sitting upright and looking over at Barnaby as the other man got comfortable. “I don't want to bring down the mood, but your Hundred Power... It felt amazing, but I worry about using it. Sorry if I disappointed at all by not activating mine, but... yeah.”

Barnaby propped himself up on his elbows. “Did I… use my Hundred Power?” he asked and chewed on his bottom lip for a few seconds.

“You did,” Kotetsu said, raising his eyebrows. “You didn't do it on purpose?”

“No…” Barnaby shook his head and cast a worried glance at his pregnant swell. “It’s become such a normal part of our sex that I must have done it without thinking. Like a reflex.”

“Well, I didn't activate mine, which would have been more worrying, in my opinion,” Kotetsu said, seeing the worry on Barnaby's face. He came to lie down next to his partner, brushing back his blond hair from where it stuck to his face. “But... it's something to be aware of for next time. That's all.”

Barnaby frowned. “Right…” He rolled onto his side and tugged on Kotetsu’s wrist until the older man spooned up behind him. They both used their feet to kick the top sheet up over their hips. Barnaby tugged on Kotetsu’s wrist again until tan hands came to rest on his belly. It was about that time, too, that the fat orange cat came back and actually wandered into the room. Barnaby couldn’t help laughing quietly when the feline decided to curl up on the pillow beside their heads. “Are we cat people?”

Kotetsu chuckled gently, moving in closer and biting softly at his partner's ear. “You are, at least,” he answered, trying to purr out his words as best as he could to make his teasing clear.

“Big Tiger, no,” Barnaby said with a scolding laugh and shrugged his shoulder attempting to dislodge his partner’s teeth. “You’re going to get me riled up again. Not sure twice in a row is wise.”

Kotetsu laughed and backed off, putting his head on the pillow. “I love that nickname,” he answered, contented.

“I know you do,” Barnaby yawned. It didn’t take long for him to fall into one of the deepest sleeps he had in nearly months. In fact, Barnaby was still asleep when Kaede came home from a half-day of classes. The old school building didn’t have air conditioning, and the summer heat was too strong today for the students to cook alive in their classrooms.

“Has Barnaby ever slept in like this before?” asked Kaede. She hung out with her dad in the front yard, sporting a teal tank top, bright purple athletic shorts, and a matching sweat band. They high-fived to start her workout and now she practiced juggling three 12-pound rocks from Anju’s garden.

Kotetsu sat on the grass opposite his daughter, watching her proudly as he used his Hundred Power for the hour to nurse his wrist. “Sure, but it's uncommon. Happens more now that he's expecting.” Of course, he'd never mention that Barnaby was _tired out_ from the night before.

“Did mom sleep a lot when she was pregnant with me?” Kaede asked. She nearly dropped one of the rocks, but caught it at the last second with a confident smirk.

Kotetsu jerked forward a bit when the rock started to fall, but quickly settled back into the grass with a smile when Kaede caught it. “No, not really. Your mom barely even got morning sickness, and she didn't gain much weight, either. Nothing slowed her down. Barnaby's situation isn't really unique, he just so happened to get an intense pregnancy.”

“‘Intense’ sounds like there are negative connotations attached,” Kaede commented. “Like the pregnancy is dangerous or something. Do you think it’s dangerous? I mean, I get that it’s a NEXT power he was born with and all, so it should all be natural for him, but he’s still a guy. Do you think he and my sister will be okay?”

“I think so,” Kotetsu answered, softening his voice. “I didn't mean to apply anything negative about it. Just that pregnant people experience side-effects on a sliding scale, and Barnaby happens to be experiencing them on the high end of the scale. It's nothing that other people haven't experienced before, though, so I'm not worried.” More accurately, he was trying pretty hard not to worry, after Barnaby briefly instilled that fear in his heart much earlier in the pregnancy. But again, things to not worry his child with. “Being a guy is certainly an untested variable, but it's Barnaby. He's in great shape and perfectly healthy, so it shouldn't be an issue.”

Kaede set down the rocks and came to sit next to her dad in the grass. She pulled closer a box of empty liquor bottles her uncle brought over, carefully dumped them onto the ground, and then picked up one. Only for it to crack and shatter instantly. “Hrmmm…” Kaede tried picking up another one. “How long did I take to be born? Were you there?”

Kotetsu jumped, leaning over to check and make sure Kaede wasn't bleeding before she picked up more bottles. “I was there,” he said, looking a little guilty as he admitted, “I was _late_, but I was there when you actually arrived. When I got off work and was finally allowed to check my phone, I realized that Tomoe has gone into labor five hours beforehand. It took me an hour to get to the hospital, and then I was there for three hours with her until you were born. 5 pounds, 6 ounces. Two ounces lighter than they would have liked you to be, but luckily not underweight enough to make the doctors worry. Just a small baby,” he said, smiling fondly.

“No wonder mom didn’t get very big. And jeez, nine hours? That sucks. Did she do it naturally, like without drugs?” Kaede picked up a fourth bottle, squinting her eyes in concentration. It started cracking, so she eased her grip. “It doesn’t feel like I’m holding it securely. Like I’ll drop it if I try holding it right-side up.”

“Absolutely not. Your mom got lucky with most of the pregnancy, but she had already taken the drugs by the time I got there,” Kotetsu said, with a gentle laugh. “She was so mad at me when I showed up. After you were born, she apologized, but I heard her really yell for one of the first times ever that night.” Then he looked over at the bottle again, nodding sympathetically. “It's a weird feeling. You'll get used to it eventually, and you'll get better at judging how hard you need to grip things over time.” He watched her adjust her hand, and felt pride surging through his chest. “You have no idea how proud it makes me to see my little girl using my NEXT ability, Kaede.”

“It kinda gives me a new appreciation for the decisions you made the last few years. A part of me will always be kinda mad that you were gone so much, because you’re still my dad and I wanted you around in my life, but I sorta get now why you were away so often. Like, I watched you and the other heroes on TV. You all were cool, but I wasn’t sure why you all did what you did. What I didn’t understand back then, which I’m slowly getting now, is that just because you were born with this power, doesn’t mean it comes naturally to you.”

The bottle accidentally broke, so Kaede picked up another one. “My power is easy enough because all I have to do is touch a person. Experiencing everyone else’s power has been the eye-opening experience. I almost flew away when I touched Sky High the first time. I sneezed ice boogers after touching Blue Rose once. When I tried Origami Cyclone’s power, I kept turning my skin and hair weird colors and my voice sounded like an old man. And you were there when Auntie Nathan let me try his powers and I nearly burned down the office. Everyone’s power makes them dangerous… and so it makes them want to be responsible with their powers. I mean, you could crush a bad guy’s skull without even trying. The effort comes from _not_ doing something like that.”

Kotetsu nodded along with what Kaede was saying. “That's an excellent observation to make, Kaede, and you haven't even known you were a NEXT for that long. I'm impressed.” Kotetsu scratched at his beard, looking off into the distance. “I still have a lot of regrets about how much I missed of you growing up. I'll never get those precious moments back, and there's so many things I should have been there for. But back then, making sure you had a city to grow up in at all, and that it was a safe city, not a crime-ridden mess or a burning pile of rubble... Well, it seemed worth missing stuff to keep you and everyone else in Stern Build safe. But... when you get older, don't do what I did. Being a hero is important, but I wish I was your hero first, sometimes.” He regained his smile then, looking back to his daughter. “But if you're already thinking about all of this kind of stuff, then you don't need me to tell you that. You're so much further ahead of the curve than I was at your age. I was just trying not to break everything I touched, I wasn't even thinking about how I was affecting the people around me yet. Emotionally, at least.”

Kaede cast her dad a playful grin. “Well yeah, that’s because girls mature faster than boys, so obviously I’m way ahead of you when you were my age.” She got excited by teasing Kotetsu and broke yet another bottle, which was the last one of the bunch. “You’re much better about visiting and keeping up with me these days. I think Barnaby, almost dying, and then retiring for a little while all played parts in that. Just… do better with the new baby, okay?”

“Yeah... I intend to,” Kotetsu said, reaching over and putting a large hand on his daughter's shoulder. “I am sorry I wasn't the best with you, but you taught me so many important lessons. I won't screw it up with your—” He paused, seeing the look on her face. “Sister,” he finished, finally humoring her.

“Thanks, Papa,” laughed Kaede and gave him a hug, again very careful about how hard she squeezed him.


	8. Last Night

After an entire week visiting Kotetsu’s family, the hero duo would be leaving for Stern Build the next morning. Anju insisted on having a final family dinner to see them off. Muramasa sat on the couch with Kotetsu, a beer in his hand, as he peered into the kitchen where Barnaby helped Anju dice tofu for the stew. He tilted his head one way, then the other way, and squinted. “How far along did you say Barnaby is supposed to be?”

“21 weeks? 22 soon?” Kotetsu responded, following his brother's line of sight and quirking an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m not sure.” Muramasa hummed. “He seems bigger than he was when you guys got here, but maybe I’m just imagining things. I just feel like when he got off the train, I remember him having a beginner belly, you know? Now it seems really obvious.”

“A lot can change in a week,” Kotetsu suggested, shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe mom's cooking has something to do with it. Though, the doctors always said that any change would be apparent since the male pelvis makes his stomach stick out.”

“I guess.” Muramasa hummed again and took a swig of his beer. “So, has your impending second round of fatherhood made you give any consideration to retiring again?” he asked, now fixing his sight on Kotetsu. “You’re no spring chicken.”

“Back to this, huh,” Kotetsu answered, frowning and leaning his head back on the couch. “No, I don't plan on retiring. I don't think Barnaby plans on it, either. When are you getting re-married? You're no spring chicken, either,” he asked, changing the subject and allowing himself to be a snotty little brother for a moment.

Muramasa grunted. “When women give me a reason to trust them again. I’m still paying alimony to one ex-wife. You want me to bring another woman into my life who will just end up taking even more of my money? No thanks.”

“Have you even _tried_ dating anyone else?” Kotetsu asked, looking skeptical.

The older brother grunted again and added a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve got Ma and Kaede to look out for on top of running the store. Who’s got time?”

Kotetsu didn't seem impressed with that answer, but he wasn't about to argue. That was his mother and daughter, after all. He couldn't get mad at Muramasa for taking care of them. “Whatever makes you happy, bro,” he said, idly picking at his cast. Thanks to the healing he did with his Hundred Power, it'd be ready to come off once they got back into the city and he found time to see the doctor. “It was nice seeing you this week,” Kotetsu added after a pause, calling for a truce on their respective grievances with each other.

Muramasa let out a heavy exhale, releasing his frustrations for the evening. “Yeah, it was good seeing you too. Maybe try to come for another visit before the baby is born.” Another long swig of beer. “So how… urhm… When the baby is born and all… I mean…” The man grunted. “Will he do it like a gal or are we talking strictly surgery or what?”

Kotetsu couldn't help looking slightly amused, pursing his lips together to keep from smiling out of the sheer awkwardness of the question. “Not really sure yet. Whatever the doctor deems safer when the time comes,” he answered, taking his turn to shrug his shoulders. “It's hard to say right now, since it's still early.”

Muramasa squirmed in his seat a little. “Between you and me, though, delivering a baby through the back door is weird, right? I mean, when you’ve got a wife, you just naturally expect her to… do what she does to get the baby into the world. Women have been doing it that way since the dawn of time so it’s not like you feel weird about it when you’re in the room with her while she does it. Wouldn’t you feel awkward or gross if you’re at the hospital with him while he… backdoor delivers?” asked the grown man in his fifties.

Kotetsu looked confused, raising an eyebrow. “You do realize _how_ he got pregnant, right? I was involved in that process.”

Muramasa chugged the remaining alcohol and then hollered, “Kaede, another beer! Please!”

The teenager came out of the kitchen with an unopened beer bottle in her hand and a frown on her face. “You know we can _hear you_ in the kitchen, right? It’s Barnaby’s body, so why are you judging so harsh? Whether the baby comes out of a rectum or a vagina—”

“Oh god…” Muramasa groaned.

Kaede deliberately cleared her throat. “Whether the baby comes out of a _rectum_ or a _vagina_—grow up, seriously—it’s still a pseudo-beautiful-gross combination that I think only the parents of the baby truly appreciate. I mean, there’s amniotic fluid and blood and that cheesy stuff covering the baby even when they’re born quote-unquote ‘naturally’ by women, so why does a man hole versus a lady hole make the difference? Giving birth is a labor of love, uncle Muramasa. It’s literally called _labor._ You’ve never even had kids, so you’re one to talk.”

“So… I guess you’ve had sex education in school, then?”

“Ugh.” Kaede snatched the beer back from her uncle. “You don’t get to have this because you’re a butt to Papa and Barnaby. You should apologize.”

Kotetsu snickered, covering his mouth with his hand. “Can daddy have it, then?” he asked once the laughter died down, extending his hand out.

Kaede raised one of her eyebrows. “Are you allowed to drink while Barnaby is pregnant?”

“I don't think we've established that,” Kotetsu answered honestly, before throwing his head back and looking upside-down into the kitchen. “Hey Bunny, can I drink?!”

“Two maximum and a five-minute foot rub for every beer after that!” Barnaby hollered in reply.

Kaede made a pouty fish face, but if that was the agreement, then so be it. “Here ya go, then,” she said, handing the bottle to Kotetsu. “Savor it, I guess.”

“I will, since I have a feeling that the limit might change the further along he gets,” Kotetsu said in a near-whisper, smirking and popping the top off with the bottle opener on his brother's keys, sitting on the couch between them. “Thanks sweetie.”

During dinner, it was obvious Barnaby didn’t appreciate the things Muramasa said about him, since he didn’t speak to or make eye contact with the man even once. He went out onto the porch with everyone else to see Muramasa off, but again, he didn’t wave or say anything. Once the van’s taillights were out of sight, Barnaby huffed and went back into the house. Sitting down and resting was probably the best thing for him after a day of helping prepare dinner, but he needed to busy himself with something, so he decided to start packing for the morning. Of course, Kotetsu noticed his behavior, but waited until his brother was gone to say anything. He followed Barnaby into the bedroom they were staying in, peering in as he saw the blond man throw open his suitcase. “Bunny?” he asked, tentatively.

“Not to stereotype, but does your mom keep incense in the house?” Barnaby asked. “I was an idiot and didn’t bring any of my candles with me.”

“She might,” Kotetsu responded, putting up a finger to indicate he needed a minute, and going to check. He came back with a small incense burner with a rearing lion on the top of it, an incense cone, and a book of matches. “Will this work, Bunny?” he asked, coming completely into the room this time.

Barnaby was folding socks when Kotetsu returned with the incense burner. “That’s fine. Thank you. Would you mind lighting it for me?” Done with socks, he moved on to boxer-briefs. “Your brother has _some nerve_, y’know? It’s like being stupid old men runs in the family or something. ‘Backdoor delivery’? That’s how _he_ chooses to describe _my_ giving birth to _my_ child? Where does he get off? It’s none of his damn business anyway.”

Kotetsu wasn't sure if he was offended by the 'stupid old men' comment, but he decided to let it slide. “He's always been like that,” he answered simply, though his tone was clearly not condoning what his brother said. He struck one of the matches and lit the incense cone, sitting in the bottom of the burner, and then closed the top once the flame picked up.

“It’s not just about him, though. This is _exactly_ the type of thing I didn’t want happening by going public with the pregnancy. I’m not trying to contradict myself. I know I’m the one who didn’t want to keep it a secret and stay cooped up in the apartment for seven months so that no one would find out. What I didn’t want was for the contracts, managers, and sponsorship take over. I didn’t _want_ to go on Good Morning Stern Build and tell the mass public all in one fell swoop that I was pregnant. What would be so wrong with just letting the news unfold gradually and naturally? I mean, I guess that’s the price we pay for being celebrity heroes, but we’re still human beings.

"If I had cancer, there wouldn’t be all this probing. When you’re sick, people are respectful. Babies imply sex. Everyone _loves_ gossiping about anything that has to do with sex. So here I am, up on display for everyone to see, so they can ask all their stupid questions. Your brother wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. I can _guarantee_ you the next time we go on a talk show, they’re going to ask me the same damn thing. And they can word it any way they want, but we both know the underlying headline here is ‘will Barnaby Brooks Jr. shit out his baby like the freak he is, or will he do us all a favor and just go under the knife? Because our feelings and sensibilities are _far more_ important than what he wants as a mother.’”

Kotetsu kept quiet, just nodding his head while Barnaby vented. There was no sense trying to solve the problem, since Barnaby wasn't looking for a solution. Nor would telling his partner to calm down do any good. It also pained him to let Barnaby calling himself a mother pass by without a comment, but again, he wasn't looking to get slapped while Barnaby was on the war path. “You're right,” he said, still nodding.

Barnaby kept folding the same shirt over and over, never happy with its imperfect shape. “Damn right I’m right. They’re all just… just… vultures, you know?” The blond suddenly hiccuped and there were tears in his eyes. Cue the monumental mood swing. “I deserve some decency, don’t I? I have _rights._ I put my life on the line for this city and they want to put me under a microscope! And what the hell is up with our publicity reps trying to make you seem younger? I hate that! Obviously it’s not fair to you, but what, I’m not allowed to date an older man? I’m not some national sweetheart like Blue Rose. I have a penis and I can make my own choices, damn it!”

“Hey, hey,” Kotetsu said, finally deciding to stop being passive when he saw tears spring into his partner's eyes. He reached over, putting a hand on Barnaby's upper back and rubbing in small circles. “I know it sucks, but people like that aren't worth getting worked up over.”

“I didn’t used to be this emotional,” Barnaby blubbered. “I was a vault. But now it’s like…” His pouting bottom lip quibbled. “The baby is in the vault, but there’s not enough room for the baby _and_ my feelings; so now as the baby grows bigger, all my emotions come spilling out and I turn into this mess. I’m a _mess._”

Kotetsu squinted, trying to follow the metaphor. “It's normal to be emotional,” he offered, putting his other hand on Barnaby's belly. “You're not any more a mess than anyone else who's ever been pregnant.”

Barnaby sniffled as more fat tears dripped down his face. “You always make it sound like Tomoe was a perfect angel when she was pregnant,” he argued. “She didn’t get fat or eat weird food or break into hysterics.” He made another blubbering noise and wiped his nose on his arm. “I must be a b-big, fat nightmare compared to h-h-her.”

Kotetsu laughed gently, lowering his voice and using his thumbs to wipe away the tears. “She wasn't an angel by any stretch of the imagination. She had mood swings and cravings just like you do. She just happened to have a small baby and her cravings were relatively normal. But that didn't mean I wasn't leaving the house in the middle of the night to get food she was craving, or dealing with her crying over the laundry not fitting in the machine. And besides...” He ducked his head down, making sure Barnaby was looking at him. “This isn't about you versus her. This is about what you're going through, right now, as you carry my second child. Our first. Okay?”

Barnaby hiccuped. Sniffled. Boo-hooed. Sniffled again. And then threw himself dramatically at Kotetsu. “I miss white wine and poached eggs on raw salmon,” he cried. “I miss my skinny jeans and the seventh notch on my belts. I miss going to the hair salon. My curls are starting to go flat!”

Kotetsu nearly stumbled when the slightly taller Barnaby threw all his weight onto him, but he managed to stay upright and pat his boyfriend's back, trying to be comforting as he said, “You'll get all those things back, Bunny.”

“First, I lose my title as King of Heroes to Sky High. Next, I lose my standing as the hero with the best body to Blue Rose. And now, Nathan is going to be prettier than me because I’ll have flat hair and pimples!” Barnaby sobbed, letting all his suppressed vanity come pouring out with his tears.

Ah, to be young and to care about the standings. Kotetsu kept rubbing Barnaby's back in little circles like he did before, letting his boyfriend cry it out for a bit before he leaned his head down, speaking softly into his ear once the sobbing wasn't quite so loud. “I still think you're the prettiest.”

Barnaby sucked in a breath through his teeth in an attempt to stop his crying. “R-Really?” he asked and lifted his head, revealing red eyes, cheeks shiny with tear stains, and snot touching his upper lip. It couldn’t have been a more perfect trap even if he planned it.

Kotetsu smiled sympathetically, brushing back blond hair and kissing Barnaby's cheek, before wiping away the tear tracks again. “Really, Bunny.”

“I think we should get a cat,” Barnaby said, the idea coming straight out of left field.

“Cat?” Kotetsu responded, his expression shifting rapidly to confused surprise.

“Miko has been so sweet,” Barnaby started explaining, referring of course to the neighbor’s fat orange tabby. “Sometimes I get so full up on baby feelings that I need to project them onto something and I think at cat would be good. It can keep me company when you’re out crime fighting, and since I can’t groom myself like I used to, I can groom the cat instead.”

“But you've never had a pet before, as far as I know,” Kotetsu pointed out. “Are you sure you actually want a cat, or do you just want company for the rest of the time you're pregnant? If we get a cat, we're going to have it for a long time. And we'll need to take care of both it and the baby when the baby arrives.” Kotetsu thought about his own words, testing the water by adding, “Would you maybe like to try _fostering_ a cat first?”

Barnaby pouted and huffed. “I’m perfectly capable of caring for a cat and a baby at the same time. Plenty of people have kids and pets. I’m not dumber than those people. I’m not asking for a dog that needs to be taken for walks, a huge yard, and kennel training. It’s a cat. They’re low maintenance.”

“I know, I know,” Kotetsu said, letting his hands come to pat Barnaby's shoulders. “I'm not saying you can't do it, just that right when you're about to have a baby seems like an odd time to also get your first pet.”

Barnaby righted himself again and wiped his eyes with his wrist. “I guess you’re right. Fostering does sound nice, though.”

“We can go see if the Stern Build animal shelter has any kittens that need fostering,” Kotetsu offered. “They probably have plenty that need help. You could even find one that needs bottle feeding, if we wanna practice. That's not a bad idea, honestly. And the kitten would appreciate it too,” he added, laughing lightheartedly.

“Maybe,” Barnaby hummed, giving the idea some consideration. “Don’t kittens need bottle feeding every three or four hours, though? I won’t be able to leave it long enough to go read to the kids at the orphanage, and we both can’t be giving up the sleep hours, especially me right now.”

“Fair enough,” Kotetsu said, shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe one that's weaned but still needs foster care, then. Sound good?”

“Sounds good, yes.” Barnaby was about to attempt packing again, but he suddenly looked surprised by something. He smiled a few seconds later. “The baby is kicking again.”

“Oh yeah?” Kotetsu asked. Now that Barnaby made it clear that he wanted Kotetsu to touch his belly, the man didn't hesitate at all before sliding his hands down, searching for the little kicking foot. “Where?”

Barnaby tapped two fingers against his upper right side. “Right here a little bit. The kicking is still somewhat faint. I lose the feeling sometimes, and then it’ll start again almost somewhere totally different. I don’t feel the baby rolling over, but maybe it’s still too small for me to feel that kind of movement.”

“Maybe,” Kotetsu responded, looking slightly confused by that bit of information, even as he slid his hand to find the kicking and enjoy the little thumps against his palm. His mind wandered to his brother's comments. “When did you last get an ultrasound, Bunny? Was the last one the mandatory one the company made you get?”

“Yes, I believe that was the most recent ultrasound. Getting another one by now probably isn’t a bad idea. I want to talk to the doctor about safe exercises.” Barnaby put his hands on his hips and dug in a little bit against the aches. “My annual goal of shedding one-percent body fat is obviously off the table for now, but there’s no reason I can’t make an effort to stay in shape.”

“You can get back on that goal after the baby arrives. I'll work out with you,” Kotetsu offered, smiling sympathetically. He often teased Barnaby about wanting to cut his body fat every year when Barnaby was already in such great shape at all times, but Kotetsu had to admit that he was just as much of a gym rat as his boyfriend, wanting to stave off any middle-aged body changes that most guys in their forties underwent. When the kicking died down, Kotetsu let his hands travel to Barnaby's hips, digging his fingers into the same places he saw Barnaby touching. “We should definitely try and make the ultrasounds a more regular thing.”

Barnaby groaned quietly as he let Kotetsu take over rubbing his hips, crossing his arms around the man’s shoulders and leaning his head forward a bit. “If we’re lucky, we can get your cast off and the ultrasound scheduled the same day so we only have to visit the hospital once. We’ll have to tackle the horde of baby products at my apartment, too. You finished the lists of sponsor conflicts and best-reviewed, right? I think we should donate the ones we don’t keep to the orphanage where I read. People are always donating items for the kids since there are so many, but the orphanage hosts infants as well.”

“Sounds like a plan. I already have the list, so we can do that as soon as we get back.” The cast restricted the movement of Kotetsu's fingers a little bit on one side, but Barnaby didn't seem to mind. “We should also think about hunting for a new apartment after we go to the hospital.”

The blond man chuckled. “Blending all your ancient, old man junk with my young, sophisticated décor is going to be our most difficult battle so far.”

“Ancient _and_ junk? Double brutal, Bunny,” Kotetsu pouted, squeezing his partner's hips a little, testing their softness with his fingertips. “You like my apartment, don't lie. I know you've stolen some of my shirts,” he said, teasingly.

Another quiet groan. “Me stealing your shirts has everything to do with your senior citizen musk and nothing to do with your apartment,” Barnaby teased in return.

“They smell like my apartment as much as they smell like me,” Kotetsu shot back, smiling now. “_Especially_ the ones that went missing from the back of my closet.”

Barnaby lifted his head enough to peer up at Kotetsu over the rim of his glasses, smirking. “Agree to disagree. I suppose mid-century modern would be the solution to combining my contemporary style with your musty craftsman style.”

“Musty,” Kotetsu puffed out in a small laugh, before shrugging his shoulders. “Well, I've never been an interior design guy, so I'll have to trust you on this one, because I have _no_ idea what mid-century modern specifically means. If I can keep most of my stuff, I'll be happy.”

“It means I get my clean lines, glass, and neutral colors. It also means you get to keep your natural shapes, wood, and greens and browns,” Barnaby clarified. He grunted softly and stood himself up straight again. “That’s good on my hips now. I helped Anju in the kitchen all day, so the best thing would probably be for me to just lie down for the night. Will you mind packing both our suitcases? I don’t want to put you out with your hand…”

“I can take care of it. You put your feet up,” Kotetsu said, rocking forward on his feet and planting a peck on his partner's lips. “It might take me a minute, but we've got plenty of time.”

Barnaby stripped down to his boxers and pulled on a plain white sleep shirt, which he noticed didn’t cover his belly enough anymore. Add clothes shopping to their list of things to do. He dictated to Kotetsu which boxers, pants, shirt, and socks to set out for tomorrow. “Pack my shampoo, razor and towel, but leave out my hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste,” he instructed from where he laid on the futon with a pillow up under his knees. “You can pack my facewash, but leave the deodorant out too. I think that’s all I should need in the morning.”

“Got it,” Kotetsu answered, stealing a glance at Barnaby in his sleep shirt, the hem of it stretched tight across the middle of his belly, unable to reach the band of the boxers. Man, even with his box-shaped pelvis, Barnaby was showing _way_ more than Tomoe was at this point. And sure, Kaede was a small baby, but it's not like Tomoe had no belly at all. Kotetsu was tempted to say something about it but chose to keep his mouth shut until they went back to the doctor, tearing his eyes away and dutifully going back to packing their bags.


	9. Blind Tiger

“I’m gonna miss you guys.” Kaede hugged Barnaby first, careful of his belly, and then gave her dad her best bear hug. Muramasa drove the family to the train station in his van and now everyone was trading their goodbyes. “I love you, Papa. Don’t forget to call me. Take care of yourself, Barnaby. I can’t wait to meet my baby sister!”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” Kotetsu answered, getting misty-eyed even though he'd probably be seeing Kaede pretty soon, now that she was getting a room in their new apartment. “I'll be sure to call you and keep you updated about anything to do with the baby, okay?”

The blond man chuckled. “Once we settle on a new apartment, we’ll bring you into the city so you can decorate it just the way you like it.”

“Sounds great!”

“Thank you so much for having us, Anju,” said Barnaby with as much a bow as he could manage. “We’ll be more than happy to bring you into the city as well so you can see the new place. I’ll take you to my favorite book store.”

Muramasa stepped forward with his hand out to his brother. “Always good seeing you, Kotetsu. Try to stay out of trouble, alright?”

Kotetsu shook his brother's hand vigorously in lieu of being able to give his brother a hug, since Muramasa would never allow it. “Thanks bro. I'll try my best,” he answered, smiling crookedly. “See you soon, I'm sure.” The train blared its horn, forcing the hero pair to board, but they quickly claimed some seats on the platform side so they could wave to the Kaburagi family as the train pulled away. Kaede ran to the end of the platform as she always did, and Kotetsu kept waving to her until she was out of sight.

“Right, so things to accomplish this week: get your cast removed, get a third ultrasound, donate baby items we aren’t keeping, go clothes shopping for me, research fostering a kitten, and start the hunt for a new apartment,” Barnaby said, counting on his fingers. “You’ll probably get called to work with the B-Heroes a few times, so maybe stretch it all over two weeks.”

“Yeah, we're gonna be busy,” Kotetsu agreed as he turned from the window and leaned back against the seat, starting to count off on his own fingers as he kept talking. “I think we'll focus on donating the baby items first, so we can get it out of your apartment. I know clutter stresses you out. We'll go to the hospital as soon as they can take both of us. Clothes shopping should be the next priority. Then kitten, then apartment? The apartment process is gonna be the longest one.”

“We should wait to get the kitten after we find an apartment,” Barnaby countered. “I don’t want to force a kitten to go from the shelter, to my apartment, and then to another apartment. That’s too many new places and too much stress. I want to provide it with as much stability as possible.” He tugged absently on the bottom of his shirt since it kept riding up on his lower belly. “But yes, I want my place cleared out tout de suite. This would be a waste of a vacation if my anxiety goes up all over again.”

“Sure, but we can start doing research now. I've never fostered an animal before,” Kotetsu said, shrugging his shoulders. He then reached over, patting Barnaby's belly comfortingly. “Don't worry, we'll take care of cleaning up right away.”

The train pulled into Stern Build National Station a few hours later. Barnaby took charge of his rolling suitcase and started pulling the duffel down from the overhead compartment, but of course, Kotetsu took down and carried it for him instead. Barnaby had to remind himself it wasn’t a matter of pride. Finally coming out onto the street, they were prepared to hail a taxi, but then Barnaby noticed Ben waving at them from where he stood next to a black van with two security details in the front seats. “Hon, did you call ahead for him?”

“Uh. No,” Kotetsu said, looking confused as he trotted over to the van, gripping the straps of the bags slung over both his shoulders. “Hey, Ben. Fancy seeing you here. What's up?” he asked, trying not to sound concerned.

Ben smiled, but there was some tension in his face. “I think it would be in your best interests to take a ride with me.”

“Ben, what’s going on?” Barnaby asked once he caught up with Kotetsu.

“It’s nothing… too serious. Just, well… your run of the mill controversy nonsense folks like to get themselves wrapped up in. Creating drama where there doesn’t need to be drama. That sort of thing.”

“Uh-oh,” Kotetsu said, frowning and looking over at Barnaby, who looked just as bewildered as he did. “Well... sure, Ben. We'll come along.”

“We’ve done our best to control the television and print media, but regular citizens have been taking to the Internet and the streets this past week,” Ben explained once they were all in the van. “You know me; I didn’t think the public release of your pregnancy was a good idea, at least not on a talk show with such a massive audience, but I’m just one voice in a room full of people who have equal weight in decision-making. As I expected, _and voiced_ in the meeting, there’s been some backlash.”

“About both of us or me specifically?” Barnaby asked, not at all liking where this was going.

“The two of you _and_ you,” Ben replied. The van slowed down and stopped on the far side of the street from Barnaby’s apartment building. Barricades were set up on both sides of the front doors so tenants could easily get through the divided crowd occupying the courtyard and shouting at each other.

Barnaby looked mortified. “All of this is because of us? Kotetsu, look at all those people!”

“Whoa,” Kotetsu responded, leaning over to look out the window. “What specifically is the backlash about? I mean, I can take an educated guess, but...”

Ben shook his head. To him, it was all foolishness. “Certain religious conservatives decided they don’t approve of anything the two of you are doing. Marriage traditionalists are nothing new. I doubt they would be making as big of a fuss about you two if it was just a matter of y’all being a couple. Nathan was on their radar much longer than either of you without any trouble, so I wouldn’t have expected that to change just because you two are dating and he’s single.”

“So it’s the baby,” Barnaby said bluntly, quiet anger bubbling up in his tone.

“Afraid so. The conservatives are of the opinion that you’ve taken your…” Ben cleared his throat, “…perversion a step further with your pregnancy. The fans are on the defense saying that your NEXT power makes it natural and you have the same body rights as any woman. But then the conservatives are arguing that NEXT …_mutations_… are not part of God’s plan and far from natural.” He sighed. “They’ve been out here protesting for almost five days straight.”

“And what exactly do they hope to accomplish?” Kotetsu asked, raising an eyebrow and frowning. “They want us fired or they want a law put in place or what?” He then turned to Ben, still looking sour. “I know this wasn't your choice, Ben, and I don't blame you at all, but you do realize that if anything happens to Barnaby or the baby, I will be raising hell at the company. It was their choice to have us publicize this.”

Ben raised his hands in a calming gesture. “I know, and I wouldn’t blame you if you did. We’re doing all we can to make sure you’re both safe.” He sighed, leaning back in his seat and looking out the window. “Honestly, I think it’s just a bunch of self-righteous noise for the sake of hearing their own bullshit. They _do_ want both of you banned from Hero TV so you won’t be ‘celebrity role models for immorality.’ The president of the network laughed so hard he almost collapsed a lung, so at least your jobs aren’t in jeopardy. Nobody expects this to last forever, but in the meantime, we think it’s in Barnaby’s best interest that he stay with you. Trying to enter his own apartment is too dangerous right now. The conservative group hasn’t been violent up to this point, but there’s no telling what they might do when Barnaby shows his face.”

“This is so annoying,” Kotetsu answered, crossing his arms and slumping back in his seat, his tone prickly enough to practically be growling. Obviously he didn't mind having Barnaby stay at his place, but it was the principal of the thing. “We have so much to take care of in that apartment and it's bullshit that we have to put it all on hold because these idiots are actually out here protesting. We're not even in the building, for Pete's sake!” he shouted, his voice getting a little too loud despite himself as he threw his hands up, exasperated, his eyes locked on the dark window to Barnaby's apartment.

“Screw this horseshit.” Barnaby opened the van door, retrieved his luggage from the back, and strode his way towards the building. Someone shouted _there he is!!_ and the battling noises of berate and support intensified. Barnaby kept his eyes forward. Just as his foot left the asphalt and touched down on the sidewalk curb, a crumpled small piece of paper bounced off his chest. Nice. Probably someone’s grocery receipt they fished out of their pocket. Then someone threw a half-empty water bottle at him, followed by a set of keys. Barnaby lifted the duffle to protect his head, just in case.

“Bunny!” Kotetsu gasped, having to fumble his way into his pocket to take out his mask, securing it to his face and then waving quickly to Ben before he fell out the back of the van. He grabbed his luggage and then ran after Barnaby, trying to catch up to his boyfriend, who was practically already at the door, having braved the onslaught of objects by himself.

There were plenty of angry words, crumpled papers, plastic bottles, and flimsy packs of gum thrown at Kotetsu as he ran down the center of the barricaded mob. A very alarmed doorman also ran outside and held the door open for the pair when he realized what was happening. Barnaby angrily jabbed his finger on the elevator button now that he was inside the lobby with Kotetsu hot on his tail. “Like hell any of those bigoted idiots are going to keep me out of my own home,” he grumbled.

Kotetsu put his hands on his knees when he caught up, less winded and more just taken by surprise by suddenly having to run. “Don't you love how people thank you for saving the city for years?” he answered, his own anger crackling through his words like electricity. Kotetsu was _not_ the kind of person to ever hold anything against the general populace, so it spoke volumes that he was as upset as Barnaby.

Inside the elevator, Barnaby leaned against the wall as he rubbed his stomach. “It’s not like what we’re doing is even hurting them. The city didn’t burst into flames, the dollar didn’t lose its value, the sun didn’t burn out, birds didn’t fall out of the sky, and nobody’s eyes fell out of their heads… I don’t even believe we’re hurting their feelings. Hurting someone’s feelings is… is… calling a wheelchair kid a cripple. When I’m not allowed to _live my life_ because it rubs your sensibilities the wrong way, then fuck you.”

Kotetsu just nodded his head silently, arms crossed as he leaned on the wall next to Barnaby, like his partner was proclaiming this to the entire world, not just the inside of the elevator, with its mirrored walls and harsh lighting. “Fuck 'em,” he finally agreed after a silent pause, affirming everything Barnaby said, but unable to conjure much in the way of his own thoughts on the matter, since he didn't want to just devolve into even more obscenities or start yelling again.

“Okay, game plan,” Barnaby announced as they entered his apartment. He dropped his luggage on the bed and then went into the kitchen, opening his single “junk” drawer with pens, paperclips, tape, matches, batteries, and the like. “You put one of these blue sticky notes on the products we’re keeping. I’m going to call Nathan and Karina, and I’ll ask them to donate everything else for us. I would have preferred to do it in person, but I don’t want to attract that hate crowd to the orphanage. After that, I’m going to pack all my clothes to take to your place. Join me in my bedroom when you’re done with this.” The blond pulled his phone from his back pocket and dialed Fire Emblem’s number while watching his boyfriend shuffle between the maze of baby products. “Hi, Nathan, it’s Barnaby. I need you to do me a big favor. I’m going to ask Karina to help you.”

Kotetsu nodded his head, determined, and then proceeded to nearly trip the entire way over to Barnaby to collect the sticky notes, allowing himself to smile as he heard the elated, “Hey Handsome!” coming from Barnaby's phone. Kotetsu made his way over to the letters he'd kept from when all the products got dropped off, and diligently began to locate each item and place a sticky note on it. One crib, one stroller, one mobile, one out of the many models of baby monitor, almost all of the supplements and other things that could just be crammed in the kitchen cabinets and used indefinitely... It seemed like there were a million things to tag, but eventually, the things they were keeping were prepped and ready to be ignored while the rest of the apartment was cleared out.

Barnaby thanked Nathan multiple times for taking charge of dispelling the baby product horde from his home. After calling Karina and confirming her willingness to help as well, he finally went to his room to pack. First, he took his dirty clothes out of his luggage and put them in a laundry bag to keep them separate from everything else. Next, he pulled the largest suitcase—the third piece in his three-piece set—and started getting clothes from his closet. “Thanks for doing that, hon,” Barnaby said and gave Kotetsu a peck on the cheek when the man joined him. “I have a bigger toiletries bag under the bathroom sink. Will you fill it with as much stuff as you can? Also…” Barnaby paused and held his boyfriend’s hand. “I know I make fun of your apartment and your stuff, but thank you for taking me in so last minute without teasing me.”

“Anytime,” Kotetsu responded, smiling and squeezing Barnaby's hand before letting go and heading into the bathroom to retrieve the bag requested of him. Soon enough, Nathan and Karina had arrived, and were introduced the veritable sea of baby products.

“Oh my stars and garters,” were Nathan's first words when he came through the door, dressed in a hot pink sequined muscle shirt and white skinny jeans with the most expensive sneakers fashion would allow, which was apparently the attire he found most appropriate for moving furniture. “I have never seen Handsome's place in such disarray! Though, with you living here, Tiger, I expected it eventually.”

“Hey!” snapped Kotetsu, halfway through folding up a bunch of strollers. He couldn't go outside, but he figured he'd help bring some of the stuff into the lobby so they could be loaded up into the other heroes' cars.

“Isn’t it awful?” Barnaby sighed. He navigated the living room as carefully as he could while trying to keep his balance with his belly. “And it all showed up at once. I didn’t get phone calls or emails or anything. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.”

Karina showed up equally unsuited for moving things: red sailor shorts, a frilly white half-shirt with barely any straps, giant sunglasses perched on her head, and wedges that made her eight inches taller. “Gross, I am _not_ lifting this stuff,” she scoffed. “I have a Pepsi photo shoot later today, so I can’t get sweaty. Good thing I called a moving truck service. When Barnaby said he was swamped with stuff, I had a feeling he wasn’t exaggerating.” She whipped out her bedazzled phone laden with charms and quickly dialed. “Hey, it’s me. Yeah. You and your boys roll up here. Avoid that crazy mob and use the delivery entrance around back. Buzz apartment 1203 on the service elevator.”

“Well, that's one way to help,” Nathan said, amused that Karina had decided to call the truck before even seeing what they had to move. Since it seemed there would be movers in the apartment to do the job for them, Nathan decided to saunter over to Barnaby's side, brandishing a perfectly manicured hand towards the blond man's torso. “Do you mind if I touch?” he asked, gently, clearly referring to Barnaby's belly. “I'm pretty jealous.”

“Oh.” Barnaby hesitated at first, feeling embarrassment creep up the back of his neck, but then reminded himself that Nathan was a friend. “I don’t mind,” he answered. “The baby started kicking a few days ago, so you might get to feel something.”

Karina was jealous too, but for completely different reasons. “How’s Kaede?” she asked Kotetsu. She easily fell into a big sister role for Kaede and they often texted, but Karina liked hearing Kotetsu talk about his daughter. This dad fetish was going to be the death of her someday. “Does she have any ice skating competitions here in the city soon?”

Kotetsu thought about that for a moment. “She didn't mention any specific competitions when we went to go see her. She said she might be graduating from junior to senior skater for the winter competitions, so I imagine that changes things for her schedule if she makes it. She also said she might get to do regionals, which I'm sure would be here,” he said, practically beaming with pride. “She wants to go to the Hero Academy, too,” he added, hands coming onto his hips, completely unashamed as he boasted about his daughter.

“Hero Academy? Oh wow!” Karina’s glossy lips spread into a smile. “That’s so great to hear, Kotetsu. I wish my dad had been as stoked about me being a hero as you are about Kaede being one.” It always hurt her feelings that her own dad didn’t support her career with Hero TV, even when she only joined to get her music career off the ground. “She’ll be like, the first legacy, won’t she?”

“She sure will, unless someone else has a kid older than mine that I don't know about,” Kotetsu said, laughing a little. “NEXT with children of their own on the record are almost unheard of, since so many of the originals didn't get married and most of the newer ones are still young like you guys. It occurs to me that most, if not all of the second generation NEXTs, at least for now, are going to be my kids,” Kotetsu mused, looking over at Barnaby and arching his eyebrows, like he hadn't considered that yet. “Plus the first one on the record to have two NEXT parents. Huh.”

“Well you don’t know that for sure yet,” Karina pointed out. “That bun in the oven over there could come out powerless, so I’d tone down the preemptive bragging if I was you.” She cast him a bratty smirk. “Oh my gawd, imagine the scandal if two NEXTs produced a dud. Fans will be so disappointed.”

“Hey, don't call my kid a dud,” Kotetsu said defensively, crossing his arms. “Powers or no powers—and I'll note that powers are _way_ more likely—that kid will still be the first child of two NEXT parents.”

“We’ll have a trophy made,” Karina said, still smirking.

Meanwhile, Nathan was gingerly sliding his long fingers across Barnaby's belly, clearly sensing how uncomfortable Barnaby was, and keeping his touch light in response. “Two NEXT powers is practically unheard of. Who would've thought, huh?” he said, trying to keep the conversation going so they weren't standing in awkward silence.

Barnaby puffed out a laugh. Not because he was nervous, but because the situation still felt so surreal sometimes. “It’s sort of weird thinking about it as a NEXT power since it’s not something… active. Having a womb and being pregnant are so passive, if that makes sense. All of our powers are biological, but they’re kinetic, you know? Breathing fire, drawing lighting out of the sky, telekinesis, shape shifting, memory manipulation… NEXT powers have always been about purposefully manipulating ourselves, other people, or the world around us. We have to actively _do_ the thing we can do. This…” Green eyes looked down at Nathan’s fingers lightly gliding across his swell of a belly. Barnaby felt the baby kick and guided Nathan’s hand to the spot, encouraging him to press his whole hand there. “This just happened without me even knowing about it.”

Nathan looked delighted when his palm was laid over the kicks, but his expression quickly shifted back to curious. “Really? You didn't feel any kind of activation at all? Like, there weren't any powering-up false starts that you thought was your Hundred Power failing to start up, but was actually this? That's so odd...”

Barnaby glanced Kotetsu’s way and took note of Karina effectively getting under the man’s skin about something. That worked. He motioned for Nathan to lean in closer as he whispered, “Between you and me, Kotetsu and I used our Hundred Powers during sex. If this secondary power ever activated in a way I could feel it… it was probably masked by my Hundred Power.”

“Oh!” Nathan responded, putting his free hand over his mouth to mask his very obvious reaction and failing miserably at it. “Really,” he said, looking at Kotetsu and smirking slightly. But then he paused, tapping a pink nail on his chin. “So if I'm hearing you right, Handsome, have you considered that this power isn't unique to you? Not to take the wind out of your sails or anything, but we all know that a NEXT having two powers has really only happened once, maybe twice if there's ones we don't know about. Maybe this is just... a thing male NEXTs can do, when they activate their powers. I'd test it myself, but it seems a little dangerous to keep a fire burning when things are heating up,” he said, giggling now.

“Right, the whole Jake Martinez thing,” Barnaby hummed. “As far as it being something all male NEXTs can do, I won’t argue the possibility. Honestly, if it’s not just me, I’ll feel less embarrassed about it. I’ve never been one to give a lot of thought to NEXT powers in terms of what they mean for the next stage of humanity, but… if being a NEXT truly is the next step in evolution that we can expect the entire human race to follow someday… I suppose male reproduction seems like an obvious evolutionary next step too.”

That’s when the movers stepped out of the elevator and started filing into the apartment. Barnaby swiftly yet gently brushed Nathan’s hand off his belly and pulled down on his shirt. Karina snapped her fingers. “Right, boys, big items like cribs and strollers first. Move on to car seats and highchairs after that. Then whatever’s left over.”

Kotetsu spent the entirety of the moving process looking awkward, feeling like he should help but not wanting to get in the way of the movers. As things slowly left the apartment, at least he could see Barnaby visibly relaxing, as he and Nathan continued to idly talk. Kotetsu decided to busy himself by taking the things he'd flagged for them to keep and moving them into the rooms where they actually belonged, once those rooms were cleared out themselves and a path was created to them through the crowded living room. The crib they'd selected went into the corner of Barnaby's bedroom, the stroller into the front closet, and mobile placed into the bottom of the crib for later. Not like they'd actually be in this apartment anymore by the time the baby came, but Kotetsu knew that everything being properly 'put away' would be much more to Barnaby's liking than shoving it all in the corner of the living room until they moved to the new place.

Once everything was cleared out, Nathan shrugged his shoulders, sighing dramatically. “Well, I guess this was wholly a waste of my moving outfit, but the job's done! Rosie and I will get into our hero costumes and go with the moving truck to the orphanage. Right?” he asked, smiling at Karina, knowing she'd try and weasel her way out of it if he didn't volunteer her. “Shouldn't take more than an hour or two.”

Karina looked up from texting on her phone and pouted. “I guess so,” she sighed. “Charity work is always good for hero image, so I might as well.”

“Have any of you been bothered or threatened by that group outside?” Barnaby asked.

“Ugh, those religious haters?” Karina scoffed. “They tried boycotting headquarters first, but security chased them all away. That’s when they migrated here instead. None of them have approached me personally. If you ask me, they’re all a bunch of noisy hot air.”

“Ditto,” Nathan groaned, rolling his shoulders back. “Don't let it worry you, Handsome. They'll tire of this in a day or two, and the rest of us won't be catching even half of it. You two just keep yourselves safe and sound for a little while.”

Barnaby let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t expect everyone to fully accept my pregnancy. I’m not that foolishly optimistic. But I didn’t expect to attract an angry mob.” Green eyes regarded the fabulous Fire Emblem. “Don’t be too jealous of me, Nathan. I’d hate for someone to throw their garbage at you just because you’re having a baby.”

“Oh honey,” Nathan responded, laughing. “If I was having a baby with the love of my life, I'd take their garbage and then some. It wouldn't bother me none.”

Barnaby winced, cupping the lower curve of his belly. “The baby is kicking down here now… This is so weird,” he murmured. “Mn.” He winced again and let himself lean back against the kitchen island. “And do you think Antonio is still the love of your life? How long have you been trying to convince him that he feels the same way about you?”

“Don’t worry about it. He’ll come around,” Nathan insisted, waving his hand. “It’s not like you jumped on the Kotetsu train right away, either,” he added, leaning next to Barnaby. “Though, you weren’t particularly trying at first, but don’t think I didn’t see you being lovesick around headquarters!”

“I don’t know _what_ you’re talking about,” Barnaby chuckled. “I don’t get ‘lovesick.’ You were imagining things, Nathan.”

Nathan practically barked out a laugh. “You just keep telling yourself that and I’ll pretend to believe you,” he said, reaching over and delicately patting Barnaby’s shoulder, nodding in solidarity.

Karina strode over to Kotetsu while getting the camera open on her phone. “Take your mask off, gramps. I wanna take a selfie and send it to Kaede so I can congratulate her on being bound for Hero Academy.”

“Why do I have to take my mask off for a picture?” Kotetsu argued, quirking an eyebrow. “Kaede knows it's me.”

“Because you’re her dad, duh,” Karina scoffed with a hand propped on her hip. “She sees you on TV and in magazines with your mask on all the time. Her personal photos of you should feature _you_, not Wild Tiger dressed like the tapper of a speakeasy.”

“A speakeasy,” Kotetsu laughed, finally relenting and removing his mask with careful fingers. “I’m not even old enough to remember those, when’s the last time _you’ve_ been in a blind tiger?” he asked, teasing.

The girl nearly dropped her phone. Karina’s face was beet red with her heart pounding in her ears. Her dumb dad-crush brain flipped Kotetsu’s words around so she heard something about the last time she had a tiger in her. She forced herself to think about bad hair days and broken nails in order to calm down. Now composed, she stood next to Kotetsu, put her arm around his waist, and held the phone up over their heads. “Say: Hero Academy!”

“Hero Academy!” Kotetsu chimed, unironically flashing double peace signs to the camera and smiling hugely, the perfect embarrassing dad combo.

“Before I go, I should totally sign your cast,” Karina said as she started digging through her purse. She found a magenta jelly pen, popped off the cap, and wrote her name in flourishing letters with a rose doodle at the end. “Nathan, come sign Kotetsu’s cast! It’s the only proof he has that an old fuddy duddy like him actually has friends.”

“You guys realize I’m getting this off like, within the next week, right?” Kotetsu asked.

“So then you won’t care if I draw something lewd on it?” Nathan teased.

“Just sign it and get going to the orphanage,” Kotetsu responded, sticking his tongue out at Nathan.

“Thank you again for helping,” Barnaby said as Nathan closed the door behind Karina and himself. He then sighed, pressed the heel of his palm into his lower back, and went back into the bedroom so he could finish packing. It was nice finally being able to breathe again in his own apartment, but the relief was short-lived since he had to now leave it once more. There was no telling how long the protesters would maintain their posts. It could be a few more days or a few more weeks. Barnaby felt a headache coming on. “Hon, will you put together a small collection of candles? I keep them on the bottom shelf in the pantry.”

“Sure,” Kotetsu said, dutifully going into the kitchen and coming back with an armful of candles. As he came into the bedroom, he stopped, watching Barnaby rub his back as he packed with his free hand. “My apartment's going to be messy too, but I'll clean it myself, okay? You can lie down once we get there.”

Barnaby looked over his shoulder and saw the sort of concerned look on Kotetsu’s face. “Oh, no, I’m okay. Honest. I’m invading your space, so I should help clean. Something just… the baby has felt particularly heavy the past couple days, that’s all.” He took the candles with a quiet “thanks” and arranged them in the duffle with his boxers and socks.

“You should lie down,” Kotetsu insisted a little more forcefully, putting a hand on Barnaby's lower back. “I insist. Let me take care of everything.”

Barnaby opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again. Why was he fighting Kotetsu on this? What would he gain by winning? “Alright,” the blond finally submitted with a soft sigh. He went around to the empty side of the bed, put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the diffuser on the nightstand, and the laid down on top of the sheets. Barnaby’s shirt rode up again. He reached to pull it back down, but then went the opposite direction and unfastened his belt and pants that were digging into his skin. “You need to slow down, kid…”

Kotetsu didn't want to say anything out loud, but it was glaringly obvious that Barnaby was growing way faster than Tomoe did. Kotetsu wasn't any sort of pregnancy expert, but he could tell that it was taking a toll on Barnaby physically. Having asserted himself, Kotetsu dutifully took to finishing Barnaby's packing for him, and even went around the apartment ensuring that non-essential things were unplugged, windows were locked, lamps were turned off, and other things like that. When he came back into the bedroom to collect Barnaby's luggage, he first came over to Barnaby's side, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You alright?” he asked, softly.

“I think… all the times I used my Hundred Power… made the baby grow too big too quickly,” Barnaby answered nervously. Both his hands protectively covered his belly. “What if it’s born too soon? I mean, just because it’s big doesn’t mean it’s developed all the way. I think I r-really m-messed up.”

“I wouldn't jump to any conclusions without seeing the doctor,” Kotetsu said, shaking his head, sensing Barnaby about to jump off the deep end with worry. He placed one hand over Barnaby's. “I'll set up an appointment as soon as possible for you to get checked out and my cast to get removed, okay?”

Barnaby took a deep breath to calm himself and nodded. “Okay.”


	10. Full Family

“What did you just say?”

Getting an appointment for an orthopedist and an obstetrician on the same day proved very difficult, even when you were a celebrity superhero. It took almost an additional week for an appointment at the hospital. Most of that time was spent trying to fit Barnaby into Kotetsu’s bachelor pad. Not to mention enduring continuing coverage of the protesters who showed no signs of slowing down yet. At least Kotetsu’s cast coming off was a relief.

Only now they were in the obstetrics department with Barnaby reclined on a table, shirt off, pants halfway down his hips, and his unusually large belly smeared with gel. The obstetrician stood over him, pointing at the monitor with the most fascinated expression on her face.

Barnaby swallowed and again asked, “What did you say?”

Kotetsu had been elated to finally get his cast off. Sure, it was annoying having to wait for an appointment, but it stressed out Barnaby way less to only have to deal with doctors all on one day, so it was worth it to wait. But now here they were at Barnaby's half of the day, and it seemed like they couldn't avoid today being somewhat more eventful than planned. “Yeah, sorry, one more time?” Kotetsu echoed, eyes going wide as he looked at the monitor.

“I said you’re having triplets,” she repeated, all smiles. “Congratulations.”

“How are we only finding out about this now?”

“Well, in the early stages, the fetuses can be too small to detect when there’s more than one. If the obstetricians you visited previously didn’t use a Doppler for heartbeats, they could easily miss the additional fetuses.”

Barnaby still looked like he just got slapped across the face. “But… But multiples don’t run in either of our families.”

“That’s not a hard and fast rule,” she replied. “I can’t say with certainty, but I suspect this being related to a NEXT power has something to do with it.” She pointed at the shapes on the monitors again. “See the heads and the pearl chains of the spines? Given their size and development, I would say you’re still on track at twenty-two weeks.”

Kotetsu put a hand on his forehead, then dragged it back, taking his hat off and bringing it to his chest as he slumped back in his chair. “Triplets,” he repeated, looking away from the monitor and over at Barnaby. Well, that explained a lot. “So, they look healthy? Normal for twenty-two weeks?” Kotetsu asked, trying to recover from the shock by diverting the subject just a little.

She nodded. “They look great. We _do_ need to reevaluate your dietary plan, Barnaby. You were on track to gain weight for a single baby. You should have gained 35 pounds by now—two weeks ago, actually.”

“_What?_” Barnaby choked.

“I know it sounds like a lot, but the amount of weight gain suggested for triplets will decrease prematurity, increase their birth weight, and reduce mortality rates. The track for triplets is 25 to 35 pounds in the first 20 weeks, up to 51 pounds by week 28, and then the remaining 9 to 10 pounds during the final trimester. I strongly encourage you to increase your consumption of proteins, good fats, and moderate carbs.”

The blond groaned. “I’ll never get my abs back after this.”

“Oh shush, you’ll bounce back just fine. These babies are going to grow quickly, and soon, so you need to prepare your body for that. Get supportive sneakers, always mind your balance, and rest as much as possible.”

“Wow,” Kotetsu said, still laid back in his chair, like a big gust of wind just knocked him over and he simply couldn't recover. He was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking, but then sheepishly piped up, “Can we... find out their genders today?”

“Yes, of course!” the woman chimed. “It might be a little difficult, but we’ll do our best.” She started moving the wand around and quickly pointed to the first baby. “This one is a girl.” More wand moving, slowly. “Hm…” She pressed just a fraction harder. “The next one is a boy. And then…” Her silent search was longer this time as she glided the wand one way, then another, and back the other way again. “I’m pretty sure baby three is also a boy.”

“Hard to tell with all three of them crowded together, I guess,” Kotetsu said, smiling slightly. “But... one girl and two boys, huh. Probably.”

She nodded. “Most likely. Do you have a primary obstetrician? You’ll need to make visits every other week for a high-risk pregnancy like this. I’m afraid I’m not taking on new patients at my practice.”

Barnaby hummed. “I haven’t chosen one yet. Lloyds will probably try convincing me to go back to the one he hired, but I’m not sure I liked him…”

“I can give you some recommendations, if you want.”

“We gave away all the extra baby stuff,” Barnaby said out of the blue with an ‘oh shit’ expression on his face.

Kotetsu gripped the arms of his chair, adopting the exact same expression. “We did,” he said, still and silent for a moment before letting out a long breath and slumping back again. “Yeah, but we gave them to the orphanage. They'll enjoy them. We can afford stuff.”

“Babies can share a crib for the first year, if it helps you feel better,” the doctor offered. “They can share enough toys for one baby. If you get gender-neutral clothing, they can share onesies. You’ll really need to stockpile formula, bottles, and diapers. Many, many, many diapers.” She printed a capture of the ultrasound for them and then cleaned the gel off Barnaby’s belly.

“Right, formula.” Barnaby pulled his shirt on over his head. Being pregnant was awkward enough. He didn’t need his chest leaking too. “This changes our apartment hunting plans.”

“It mostly certainly does,” Kotetsu agreed, his tone of voice making it clear that he was still reeling a little. Suddenly they went from needing a three-bedroom place to needing a five-bedroom place, unless they wanted to start in one place and move as soon as the babies were old enough to need their own rooms. There was no way they could make Kaede share a room with her new sister as they both got older, since that would defeat the purpose of Kaede's room, and it would be unfair to make the boys bunk in the same room if their sister of the same age had a room all to herself. Not to mention the fact that they couldn't be one hundred percent sure that it was a girl and two boys until they were born. “Well... at least we hadn't actually bought a place yet.”

“Congratulations again, you two. Here’s the photo. Choose a primary obstetrician as soon as possible. They should set you up for regular visits and with an appropriate meal plan. I know it’s overwhelming, but don’t forget to enjoy the pregnancy!”

She left with Barnaby still on the table, huffing quietly as he looped the rubber band through the buttonhole on his jeans. When he stood up, his shirt didn’t even pretend to fit properly with a good bit of his skin showing. “I look utterly ridiculous. Department store. Now.”

“S-sure,” Kotetsu answered, jumping up onto his feet and following Barnaby as he led the way out of the hospital. When they got to their car, Kotetsu got into the driver's seat. Normally, Bunny insisted on driving at all times, but since getting pregnant, he found it far too uncomfortable to be behind the wheel. Kotetsu started the car, but didn't pull out of their parking spot right away. He sat back just like he had in the hospital chair, tapping his fingers on the wheel. “I'm going to be a father of four,” he said, like the realization was just hitting him then.

“…Is that more than you want?” Barnaby asked cautiously. He didn’t believe Kotetsu would run away if four was too overwhelming, but he didn’t want it to affect how Kotetsu might behave for the rest of the pregnancy. Barnaby was really going to need him.

“No, I... Four is fine. Better than fine,” Kotetsu answered, laughing a little, still shocked. “I just was not expecting to go from having one to four so quickly.” He adjusted his hat on his head, looking over at Barnaby. “You're having _three _of my kids. At _once_.” He wasn't really sure why he was reacting like this, in this weird way that didn't seem positive or negative, but simply observatory. “Huh.”

Barnaby’s hands tightened around the seat belt. “Three at once…” he echoed. He swallowed a sticky lump in his throat. “Three at once. I have three babies inside me. At the same time. Three people. In me.”

“You sure do.” Kotetsu was quiet for a minute, still tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. His eyes kept scanning up and down Barnaby, looking for something, though he wasn't quite sure what. “Hey,” he finally said, noticing Barnaby tensing up. “I'm going to take care of you, okay?”

“I have to grow three people inside me,” Barnaby whispered. His knuckles started turning white. “Without messing up. Without one of them dying.”

“Hey, hey,” Kotetsu said, reaching over and putting his hands on Barnaby's shoulders, turning him in his seat to face Kotetsu. “You're going to be alright, Bunny. People way less amazing than you have done it before, y'know? So you'll be okay, I promise.”

Green eyes gazed wavering into amber eyes. One baby scared Barnaby enough. Now it was three. Three hearts, three brains, thirty fingers, thirty toes, six eyes, six ears… All of them had to come out perfectly. He’d never forgive himself if any part of them didn’t come out perfect. And Barnaby’s body. His hips, his back, his feet, his knees, his skin… Would he remain unscathed? “Oh man…” he breathed.

“Bunny,” Kotetsu said, unsure of what to do. He got through this entire ordeal on the simple fact that he had a pregnant wife once. But he never experienced this, and he wasn't sure how to properly comfort Barnaby for the first time in the entire pregnancy. He stroked his fingers through Barnaby's hair and down the side of his face, but he wasn't sure what else to do.

Barnaby leaned over as much as the seat belt allowed and wrapped his arms tightly around Kotetsu in a scared hug. He breathed deeply against the older man’s neck. Grounding. Maybe he just needed to feel grounded. Barnaby needed to feel Kotetsu’s solid frame braced against his own. He didn’t feel so alone or like he was floating aimlessly in the fog of his panic. “I’m sorry I’m scared.”

“Don't be sorry,” Kotetsu answered, burying his face in Barnaby's hair, holding him tightly when Barnaby clung onto him. “I'm scared too. But I'm also excited. I want this to work. I'll be here for you.”

Barnaby squeezed Kotetsu before letting go and nodding. “Thank you.” A few deep, calming breaths. Excited. He should be excited. He should be happy. A family with Kotetsu. _Just keep reminding yourself that._


	11. Tora-chan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's some discussion of kanji/hiragana in this chapter, apologies if there's any mistakes

Ever since coming back into town, it was protocol for a black van with four bodyguards dressed in black suits with sunglasses and ear pieces to follow Kotetsu and Barnaby wherever they went. It stroked Barnaby’s ego completely the wrong way. He was a hero with superpowers, for Christ sake! He was the last person on earth who should’ve needed guarding. Word spread that the hero duo was back from vacation, and every magazine in the city wanted photos of the expecting power couple, which meant the paparazzi were afoot. Barnaby and Kotetsu were on high alert making sure Wild Tiger had his mask on at all times.

Sure enough, someone snapped a few shots of them going into the mall together with the blond man wearing his ill-fitting clothes. _Perfect._

Barnaby did his best trying to ignore the bodyguards creating a perimeter around him and his boyfriend while they looked through the racks of men’s plus-size streetwear. “I don’t know what’s worse: a tabloid title about me shopping chubby sizes or a tabloid title about me shopping maternity.”

“We've already announced a baby. Maternity doesn't sound so bad,” Kotetsu said, frowning sympathetically as Barnaby made faces at the clothes, most of which were far too plain for his style. Kotetsu thought about his boyfriend's bright red motorcycle jacket, hanging forlornly in the front closet, too ridiculously tight on the best of days to even have a prayer of being worn right now. “Don't worry about it and try finding some stuff you like, Bunny.”

“Why is it the bigger the size, the less fashionable it becomes?” Barnaby muttered under his breath. “Besides, maternity wear is for women. I’m not about to jump into that ship. I don’t think I’d fit maternity, either. I still have a masculine frame, so the cuts of the pants and shirts would be all wrong.” He picked four shirts and three pants to start, and he hauled Kotetsu with him to the dressing room. “One wise crack out of you about how anything fits, and you’ll be banned to the couch.”

“I wasn't going to make jokes at your expense, Bunny! Have some faith in me,” Kotetsu said defensively, nearly tripping over himself as he was pushed down onto one of the small chairs just outside the dressing room.

Barnaby made a huffing noise, but just closed the door rather than apologize or make another accusatory comment. He came out after a few minutes in the first pants and shirt. The jeans closed, but they were too long and the butt sagged. The shirt covered his belly and the armholes weren’t too tight, but the chest was baggy. “I don’t like how this is starting.”

“Hm,” Kotetsu responded, frowning as Barnaby turned around and displayed all the places the clothing absolutely did not fit. “I mean... you're not actually heavy all-around, so I guess it not fitting correctly isn't all that surprising... Try the next set?”

Barnaby disappeared back into the dressing room with a very upset feeling creeping up his throat. All the shirts had baggy, wrinkled chests and some had armholes that were too big. The second pair of jeans was a better length, but still had the saggy ass. This was not working. Barnaby expressed his frustration when he threw a hanger onto the floor with an angry grunt. “My own clothes won’t fit. Plus-size won’t fit. Maternity won’t fit. What’s the answer? Bite the bullet and submit to one of them?”

“Either maternity, or we take whatever you like best from here to get tailored,” Kotetsu said, scratching his goatee, unsure if those were options Barnaby was going to like. “It's annoying, but I get almost all my clothing tailored. It's not terribly expensive.”

_Tailored. Wait._ Barnaby whipped out his phone and immediately got on a call. “Nathan, hi. This Barnaby. But you probably already knew that. You have my number and you know my voice.” He pinched the bridge of his nose up under his glasses. “Oh my god, what is wrong with me? I feel like I should hang up and call you back so I can start over without sounding like an imbecile.”

“Oh Handsome, do I get you that flustered? I hope your man's not in the room,” Nathan said, laughing on his end of the call.

“Hi,” Kotetsu said from where he sat, loud enough to be picked up by the phone.

“Looks like you better watch your back around me, Tiger! Anyway, what I can I do for _you_?” Nathan asked, unashamedly baking insinuation into his tone anyway.

“I’m having a fashion crisis,” Barnaby replied. “If anyone can understand my plight, it’s you. Listen, we’re not really telling other people yet because we just found out and we need time to let it sink it, but this particular piece of news is integral to my crisis, so I’m going to tell you, but you’re sworn to secrecy.” He took in a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m pregnant with triplets. My clothes don’t fit. Maternity and plus-size aren’t going to cut it because I don’t exactly have the figure for either. You get most, if not all, your clothes custom designed and tailored to you, right?”

“Oh my goodness,” Nathan responded, sounding practically giddy over being privy to this new information. “Wild Tiger, you did _not_!” he squealed.

“Can't hear you. Also, what's wrong with my tailor, Bunny?! I brought the idea up!”

“Don't listen to him. Honey, you want a _designer_. I get it! I can hook you up with a wardrobe that changes month-to-month. It's like the ultimate in fast fashion! All you need to do is get to the boutique and let them measure that bod.”

Relief started showing on Barnaby’s face. “I knew you’d get it. The clothes can’t just fit. They have to be my style. And believe me, at the rate I’m going to grow, a new wardrobe every month is exactly what I need.” He looked over at Kotetsu with a sort of apologetic expression. “Hon, nothing is wrong with your tailor. I can’t bring myself to get any of these ugly things altered to fit me, and the answer can’t be pregnancy panel inserts into the things I used to wear. Nathan, you’re a life saver. Send me the address and we’ll go there right now. My pants are held together with a rubber band. That ends _today.”_

“You got it, sweetie,” Nathan said, blowing a kiss into the camera and hanging up the phone so he could instantly send a message with coordinates to Barnaby's com unit.

“And you're going to be okay with getting measured by strangers?” Kotetsu asked, standing up from the chair. He knew Barnaby was fashionable, but he didn't seem like the type to fuss with tailoring, especially not considering how many made-to-fit things he wore like jeans and motorcycle jackets. And being pregnant wouldn't help matters.

Barnaby bristled at the question. “Why are you trying to make this even more difficult?”

“I'm not trying to,” Kotetsu said, putting his hands up. “I just don't want you to get emotionally blindsided. It can happen when you're pregnant. That's all.”

“Nothing about this is easy. I want to be positive about the pregnancy like you are, but I can’t feel good about anything if I’m unhappy with the way I look. Yes, I’m going to be uncomfortable being measured while my body is like this, but the alternative is worse. Maybe it’s vanity. I used to think I took a healthy amount of pride in my appearance, but maybe I go beyond what people consider normal. It’s important to me that I look good. I _can’t_ go around feeling like a hot mess.” Barnaby tugged on the sagging material of the shirt he currently wore. “Getting this tailored to fit me won’t make me feel like less of a hot mess. Because it’s still an awful shirt. And I know you think I’m handsome no matter what. I value that more than I let on, but I just… Fashion makes me feel like a person. I need to feel like a person and not a… not a whale lumbering around in a cotton-polyester blend with an itchy tag in the neck.”

“I'm not saying you shouldn't go get clothes made that make you happy, Bunny,” Kotetsu responded, lifting up his hands and gently settling them on his partner's shoulders. “I was just wanting to bring it up before we went so that it didn't suddenly occur to you while we were standing in a fitting room somewhere you haven't been before. I didn't mean to make you feel like you needed to explain yourself to me.”

Barnaby chuckled tiredly. “When did I become the insufferable one in this relationship?”

“Hey,” Kotetsu responded, sounding hurt, but smiling despite himself. “C'mon. Ready to go?”

“You know I don’t mean it.” Barnaby gave his partner an apology kiss on the cheek. “Let me change and then we’ll go.” He gladly left the baggy, boring clothing behind in the dressing room. The address for the designer took them up to the city’s Gold Stage, but that was no surprise. “Hi, is there a designer available for consultation?” Barnaby asked the boutique’s receptionist. “Nathan Seymour recommended I come here.”

The girl behind the counter, a chic twenty-something with a lavender undercut, immediately stood up when she heard Nathan's name. “I'm sure someone's available. Just a moment,” she said, smiling politely and retreating back into the boutique to check around.

“Swanky place,” Kotetsu commented, glad he was in one of his better outfits today, sliding a hand down the front of his vest and shuffling one of his spats against the polished wood floor.

“Do you think they honor discretion here?” Barnaby pondered aloud. “Or do you think they’re the gossiping type who will get on the phone first chance they get and brag that they get to be the designer for pregnant male hero extraordinaire Barnaby Brooks Jr.?”

“Do you really think Nathan would shop here if they were?” Kotetsu asked. Then he took a minute to ponder that. Nathan _did_ like to gossip...

“I've got a designer waiting for you, sir,” the receptionist said as she reappeared behind the desk. “Can I get your name for our system?”

Providing an alias would be dumb. His identity wasn’t a secret, for one, and there weren’t any other pregnant men living in the city. “Barnaby Brooks Jr.,” he answered. Which also made him wonder how the young woman didn’t instantly recognize him.

“Thank you,” she said, unable to keep from her smile widening. Clearly, she _did _recognize him, and was just following policy. “Right this way,” she continued, leading them back into the boutique. There were several fitting rooms at the back of the boutique that doubled as offices, with desks and chairs for clients and designers to sit down and talk, and wood doors that could close and keep the conversations private. She brought them into one of the rooms and sat them at the chairs on the clients' side of the desk, and returned a moment later to offer them water.

It was a few minutes later that the designer arrived, a shrewd looking middle-aged woman with a tight, black bun and a long nose. “Mr. Brooks,” she greeted as she walked into the office, closing the door behind her. “And Wild Tiger, I assume,” she added, offering both of them a surprisingly firm handshake once she rounded to her side of the desk and sat down in her tall office chair. “Nathan called ahead. Said you were interested in quite a collection of clothing, is that correct?”

“Yes ma’am,” Barnaby replied, impressed and briefly intimidated by her strong handshake. This was the designer Nathan had in mind? She hardly seemed his type. If she came at Nathan’s recommendation, however, she _must_ be good. “I’m sure you’re aware of my situation. It very recently escalated into triplets. Nothing in my closet fits and I’m the wrong shape for anything available in department stores. I always made sure I was dressed well before the pregnancy and I want to keep it that way. I need a wardrobe that can keep up with my growth rate.”

“Understood,” she said, taking a pair of reading glasses out of her desk and perching them on her nose, and retrieving a small notebook and pen from the drawer while it was open. “Explain your style to me, Mr. Books,” she continued, not even giving her name and jumping straight into business.

“My preference has always been men’s ready to wear,” Barnaby explained, knowing fashion like the back of his hand. “I don’t mind men’s streetwear, but I’m not into the long, oversized trend happening right now. I like the bulk of my outfit to be solids with one piece having some sort of pop. My red and white motorcycle jacket used to be my go-to piece. Speaking of which, my best colors are white, red, black, charcoal, and army green. I don’t like ripped or distressed jeans, but an acid wash catches my eye sometimes. I would also like to have a casual suit for television appearances.”

The designer jotted down notes so quickly that Kotetsu was convinced she was just scribbling in the notebook. _No way someone could write that fast!_ “We can make this work, Mr. Brooks. How many outfits would you like produced after each fitting? We can make as many or as few as you would like, and then all you must do is come back in for new measurements as soon as the outfits do not feel like they are fitting right.”

“Three pants and five shirts will be fine,” Barnaby answered. “Ready to wear has the benefit of mixing and matching. I will need a new suit every fitting, though. Also, I’d like one pair of red silk tailored pajamas each fitting. If you could stitch the kanji for ‘bunny’ on the pocket, that would be perfect.” He turned towards Kotetsu. “Hon, will you draw the character for her?”

“Sure,” Kotetsu said, sounding a little surprised to be addressed in the midst of the fashion talk. “There's not really any direct translation for 'bunny' into kanji, though. 'Rabbit' yes, but 'bunny', well... Here,” he said, holding his hand out and taking the notebook from the designer. He wrote down two symbols, ウサ, then handed it back. “That's hiragana for 'usa', which is a cuter shortening of 'usagi'. That's about as close as you get to the English 'bunny' without adding on a cute '-chan', but that would make it super long.”

Barnaby hoped the nickname would fit as one character, but the two ‘letters’ weren’t any different than if he had ‘BB Jr’ embroidered on the pocket. Kotetsu called him “Bunny,” not “Rabbit,” so that’s what he wanted. “Just very simple in a silvery white thread,” he confirmed.

“You'll want to write them either top to bottom or right to left, not left to right,” Kotetsu added.

The designer scribbled all of this underneath Kotetsu's sample hiragana. “We can even do it in his handwriting, Mr. Brooks,” she offered, cracking the first smile they'd seen on the woman since she arrived.

Green eyes brightened at the suggestion. “Could you? I would _love_ that. Yes, absolutely.” Barnaby came a long way from despising the nickname and shooting down Kotetsu’s use of it at every turn.

“May I get you to write that one more time, but use a whole page this time, sir,” she said, giving the notebook back to Kotetsu. Once he'd written the hiragana again and handed it back, she stood up and offered her hand again. “My name is Tina, by the way. Very nice to meet you both. Please excuse me, and I'll be back with a seamstress to take your measurements, Mr. Brooks. We'll begin on the first set of pieces immediately.”

Barnaby did the gentlemanly thing and stood as well, though he had to work at it a bit, and shook her hand in return. “Very nice meeting you, Tina. I can’t thank you enough.” He looked at Kotetsu again with the most relieved expression he had all day. “I needed this.”

Kotetsu smiled, happy to see Barnaby in better spirits. He was worried about the process of getting clothes made stressing Barnaby out, but it seemed he was concerned over nothing. “I'm glad.”

Tina returned a few minutes later with a measuring tape around her shoulders and with a seamstress from the boutique who had yet another notebook in her hands, this one full of measurements of their various clients. She flipped to a new page and sat in the chair Barnaby vacated, as Tina brought Barnaby into the more open side of the room and instructed him on how to stand, with his legs together and his arms up, so she could start taking measurements, calling out the numbers to the seamstress so she could jot everything down. Far past the standard chest, waist, and hips, Barnaby found his arm length and circumference, his height from his collarbone down to the floor, the crest of his belly, and almost every other curve and cranny measured. “Now, there will be no good way to predict when we will need to make new clothes. We can't just put you on a bi-weekly or monthly schedule and hope it works out. So, come back to us for new measurements as soon as the clothes start to feel like they aren't fitting right anymore. That way, we can make you new outfits before you get into a situation where you have nothing to wear.”

“Anything else we should know?” Kotetsu asked.

“Yes. I will need two weeks to design and create all of the clothes you have requested, but come back in two days for just the first outfit if you like. I will have at least a shirt and pants ready by then. Then, the rest of the shirts and pants by the end of the week. The suit and the pajamas, by the end of week two.”

Barnaby was afraid he would outgrow these non-existent clothes before the two weeks was even up, but then he told himself to reel it in. He needed to stop imagining worst case scenarios about his wardrobe. “Two days is great,” he confirmed. “I’m already at a point of nothing to wear.” Which he emphasized by gesturing to his rubber band pants and riding up shirt. “Maybe give the suit a bit extra room just in case? The doctor I saw today said the triplets could be due for a growth spurt pretty soon, especially once I start eating the way I should.”

“We'll be making all of these clothes with extra room. But we still want them to fit nicely even before then, so they won't be too baggy, and they will be tailored to your shape,” Tina confirmed, nodding her head along with what Barnaby was saying. “The pajamas are silk, so we can't let them out, unlike the rest, which can be made with extra fabric in the seams so they can be let out once. But the pajamas can also be the loosest fit, so they should still last you just as long.”

“All of that sounds perfect, thank you so much.” Before leaving, he gave them his credit card information for billing, along with his phone number so they could call when his outfits were ready. Barnaby was on his phone looking at something on their way back out to the car, again with bodyguards in tow. “Tora-chan, you know how to do laundry, right?” he asked, completely casual. “You should teach me. Three babies means there’ll be mountains of laundry to do nonstop.”

Kotetsu blinked once, twice, and then looked over at Barnaby. “What did you call me?” he asked.

Pink colored Barnaby’s cheeks. “Did I say the wrong word?” He pulled out his phone again and scrolled through the online dictionary he browsed just a few minutes earlier. “Tora-chan. Tora means tiger, right? Don’t tell me I called you a potato or something.”

“No it... It means tiger, you're right,” Kotetsu said, covering the bottom half of his face with his hand, obscuring the red flourishing on his cheeks. “Cute...”

“I _am_ calling you ‘tiger boyfriend,’ right? Isn’t –chan a pet name suffix you all use to denote boyfriends and girlfriends?” Barnaby frowned to himself and hummed. “Then again, your mom calls Kaede –chan and Kaede calls her skating friends –chan, so maybe I’m using it wrong…”

“You're using it right. It's a cutesy honorific. You use it with kids, usually girls, and sometimes with your significant other. I just... wasn't expecting you to give me such a cute nickname out of the blue,” Kotetsu said, laughing a little and stroking his goatee with two fingers. “Plus, it's funny that you use the word 'tora' for 'tiger', since you could shorten my name to 'Ko' and still have 'tiger'...”

Barnaby glanced to the side and then back at his partner. “Your name… means ‘tiger’?”

“It means... 'strong tiger.' Or 'iron tiger', depending on how you read the kanji.” Kotetsu stopped walking, looking confused. “You didn't know that? Why did you think my hero name was Wild Tiger?”

Barnaby had a look on his face like he literally got caught with his pants down. “I-I-I don’t know! I thought your favorite animal was a tiger or something! I don’t speak Japanese or read kanji. How would I know that? And if ‘ko’ means tiger, then why does ‘tora’ mean tiger, too? Do you have two words for tiger? Why would that be necessary?”

“Well, it's the same kanji. But you can read it differently depending on context. When referring to the animal, it would be 'tora', but it becomes 'ko' when it's part of someone's name. But it still means 'tiger' when it's in someone's name.” Kotetsu could see Barnaby was embarrassed, but it was still sort of cute to watch him try and parse it all out. “Tomoe suggested I use ‘Tiger’ in my hero name. I almost went by Strong Tiger, but Muramasa convinced me that sounded stupid in English, back when I still wasn't a great judge of that. And when I went for Iron Tiger, he warned me that I was making it way too easy to figure out who I was. Then Tomoe came up with Wild Tiger, so, Wild Tiger it was.”

This seemed complicated. “So if I call you Ko-chan, it’s using more of your name. If I call you tora-chan, it’s more like the animal. If you called me usagi-chan, is that more like a name or the animal?”

“Both. I could call you To-chan or Tsu-chan, but almost no one reads that kanji that way.” Kotetsu smiled, crinkling the skin by the corners of his eyes. “But if I really wanted it to be a cute Bunny nickname, I'd shorten it. Usa-chan.”

So somehow “tora” turned into “ko,” and “usagi” turned into both “to” and “tsu.” Sure, why not? That made sense. “Well, I still like it when you call me Bunny, so you don’t need to change it if you don’t want to. I call you variations of ‘honey,’ but that’s really general. Your nickname for me is unique and special, so I thought maybe I should come up with something equally unique to you. I mean, we _are_ Tiger and Bunny, right? So… Ko-chan.”

Kotetsu couldn't help his grin from growing, nearly threatening to split his face. “Yeah, I like it, Bunny,” he said, practically giggling to himself as he leaned over and decided on an Eskimo kiss, rubbing his nose against Barnaby's and then taking his hand and finally leading them the last few feet to the car.


End file.
